Portret van een onbekende man met hoed en platte kraag 1766 - 1769

B. Richards made this mezzotint portrait in 1766, after an original painting by Rembrandt. The print illustrates a number of interesting facets about the art world in England during that time. The inscription tells us that it was printed for a bookseller and printseller in Covent Garden. We also learn that it was 'done from an Original Picture Painted by Rembrandt'. The art market was taking off in England during this period, and the work of earlier masters such as Rembrandt was highly sought after, particularly by a rising middle class that wanted to emulate the collecting habits of the aristocracy. Richards’s print gives us some idea of how that demand could be met through reproductive technologies. What is especially interesting is that this print was marketed on the basis of its association with Rembrandt, despite being made by someone else. What was it about Rembrandt that was so appealing at this time? These are the questions that an art historian might seek to answer.