Self-Portrait with Raised Sabre 1634

Curator: This is Rembrandt van Rijn's "Self-Portrait with Raised Sabre." Editor: It's striking how this small print emanates such confidence, almost bravado. What can you tell us about it? Curator: It's an etching, characteristic of Rembrandt's printmaking. The use of a sabre in self-portraits was a common trope to denote status. Editor: It makes you wonder about the performance of masculinity and class during that era. Is he embodying or critiquing it? Curator: The etchings produced in his lifetime had a huge impact on establishing him as an artist and entrepreneur. These pieces helped him reach a wider audience. Editor: I'm left pondering the power dynamics in Rembrandt's time, how artists navigated them, and the enduring questions about identity that this work raises. Curator: It's interesting to consider the market implications of his output alongside the image he projects here. Editor: Yes, it’s a fascinating study that still resonates with contemporary issues of representation and self-fashioning.