The Great Jewish Bride
1635
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Great Jewish Bride is a 1635 ink by Rembrandt, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This black-and-white print shows a woman sitting with her hands resting in her lap. She wears a heavy, draped cloak that covers her shoulders and arms. The lines in the image are scratchy and layered, creating a textured look—especially in her hair and fabric. The artist used a mix of etching and drypoint to build up the details, which is why the lines look so varied. This wasn’t painted; it was drawn directly onto the metal plate. Next, check out etching, drypoint, aquatint to see how these techniques work.
