Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn

A fine, delicate impression, of this extremely scarce, early etching. We have found only 7 other impressions at auction in the past 30 years. Printing with subtle touches of burr in the hair and moustache; with horizontal shading added on the forehead above the right eye. In 1604, Karel van Mander published the Schilder-Boeck, the first art-theoretical treatise north of the Alps. At its core is a didactic poem emphasizing the expression of emotion as the essence of painting—what van Mander calls its “soul.” He insisted that inner passions must be made visible through gesture and facial expression. Rembrandt, well acquainted with these ideas, took them to heart in his earliest self-portraits. These studies focus almost entirely on the nuanced play of eyes, brows, mouth, and forehead, capturing shifting emotional states—ranging from astonishment and dismay to contempt or fear—while spatial setting and bodily form remain minimal. These prints mark the beginning of Rembrandt’s lifelong exploration of the self in art. Nowell-Usticke classifies this with a 'RRR' – 'a very rare small portrait'. Trimmed on the platemark at right and bottom, just within elsewhere. – Flattened, barely noticeable horizontal folding mark. Minor thinning in the lower corners, possibly due to former mounting. Otherwise in good condition. Extremely rare!