Artwork
Girl with a Basket
Girl with a Basket is an ink print by the Baroque artist Rembrandt van Rijn. It dates from 1642 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Girl with a Basket is an etching executed by Rembrandt van Rijn around 1642. The work presents a solitary figure, rendered in monochrome on a sheet of paper that shows signs of handling and age. As a print, it belongs to the artist’s extensive output of graphic studies produced in the middle of his career.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a young woman dressed in a loose gown and a wide‑brimmed hat, her arm supporting a basket. Her stance is relaxed, suggesting an informal moment rather than a formal portrait. The casual pose and everyday objects hint at a genre scene that captures a fleeting glimpse of daily life in the Dutch Golden Age.
Technique & Style
Rembrandt employed the etching process, incising a copper plate with a needle before immersing it in acid, which bites the lines into the metal. The resulting image displays rough, scratchy strokes and uneven edges, characteristic of a rapid, spontaneous drawing. The paper bears smudges and wear, emphasizing the raw, unpolished quality of the original impression.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1642, the print belongs to the period when Rembrandt was refining his graphic techniques. While specific ownership records for this particular impression are scarce, it is representative of the artist’s prolific printmaking activity that circulated among collectors and fellow artists during the 17th century.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.
