Bust of an African Woman is a 1630 ink by Rembrandt, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a woman’s face and shoulders in profile, her head turned slightly away. The lines are loose and scratchy, almost like quick strokes with a pen. Her hair is drawn with wild, tangled strokes, and the background is just a few faint marks. The artist used a technique that lets ink sit in the grooves of the metal plate, creating this rough, textured look. It’s not smooth like a painting—it feels more like a sketch that was made fast. Next, check out how etching works to see how artists create these kinds of lines.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.
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