Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Self-Portrait Etching at a Window

1648
Not on view
Rembrandt van Rijn

Dutch, 1606–1669

Self-Portrait Drawing at a Window, 1648

Etching, drypoint, and burin

The Sylmaris Collection, Gift of George Coe Graves, 1920 (20.46.12)

In this iconic image, Rembrandt presented himself, at the age of forty-two, not as an ideal but in a matter-of-fact way, as an artist at work, interrupted with etching needle or pen in hand. The captivating honesty of his direct gaze draws the viewer into the tranquil and dim space.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Self-Portrait Etching at a Window
  • Artist: Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) (Dutch, Leiden 1606–1669 Amsterdam)
  • Date: 1648
  • Medium: Etching, drypoint, and burin; fourth of nine states
  • Dimensions: Plate: 6 1/8 x 5 1/16 in. (15.5 x 12.9 cm)
    Sheet: 6 7/16 in. (16.3 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: The Sylmaris Collection, Gift of George Coe Graves, 1920
  • Object Number: 20.46.12
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
Aristotle with a Bust of Homer, Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) Dutch, Oil on canvas
Aristotle with a Bust of Homer
Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn)
1653
Soprano Recorder in B, Thomas Coenraet Boekhout Dutch, Ebony, ivory, Dutch
Soprano Recorder in B
Thomas Coenraet Boekhout
ca. 1700
Horizontal Panel with a Row of Flowers Above a Frieze with a Hunting Scene in a Landscape, from "Livre Nouveau de Fleurs Tres-Util", Nicolas Cochin French, Etching and burin
Horizontal Panel with a Row of Flowers Above a Frieze with a Hunting Scene in a Landscape, from "Livre Nouveau de Fleurs Tres-Util"
Nicolas Cochin
Publisher Balthazar Moncornet
1645
Self-Portrait, Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) Dutch, Oil on canvas
Self-Portrait
Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn)
1660
Pair of Stirrups, Iron, gold, Netherlandish
Pair of Stirrups
Netherlandish
first half 17th century

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.