Minneapolis Institute of Art

Rembrandt with Plumed Cap and Lowered Sabre

Rembrandt van Rijn

Date

1634

Medium

Etching and engraving

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Several things could have inspired Rembrandt's vast program of self-portraiture. There was the urge for self-promotion, the need to satisfy collectors who wanted images of the famous artist, and the interest in self-discovery-the seventeenth-century Dutch idea that one could shape one's character by trying on different selves. To help him act out his various roles, Rembrandt kept a supply of old-fashioned weapons and costumes for props. The saber mentioned in the title existed until he trimmed the knee-length figure down to a small oval. Rembrandt used his own image as the basis for this print but added a wart to his face. Netherlands, Europe

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