Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn

An early, richly tonal impression of the first state with slightly inky plate edges and a sharp corner upper right as well as horizontal scratches above the feather. Before the addition of burin strokes to strengthen the outline of the cane. Thread margins. This full-length portrayal depicts a stout, bearded man in elaborate orientalising costume: a fringed tunic, fur-trimmed cloak, high boots, and a plumed fur beret, all rendered with a striking attention to texture and detail. Shown frontally, he adopts a poised stance—his right hand resting on a staff, the left akimbo—while his right foot is advanced and his gaze turns contemplatively to the left. The figure evokes the 17th-century European fascination with the exoticised East, both in fashion and physiognomy. – Paper slightly thinned out in places, otherwise in very good condition.