The Fourth Oriental Head is a 1635 ink by Rembrandt, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white portrait of a man with a thick beard and curly hair. He’s wearing a soft hat pulled low over his forehead, and his collar is turned up. The lines are scratchy and uneven, like the artist was pressing hard with a tool. The rough texture comes from the etching technique—Rembrandt carved into a metal plate to create this effect. It looks almost sketchy, but that’s the point. Next, check out etching to see how artists like Rembrandt made prints this way.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
