Sketch of a Tree 1638

Created in 1638, "Sketch of a Tree" is a small etching by Rembrandt van Rijn, measuring just 8 x 7 cm. The etching depicts a lone tree, its branches reaching up into the sky, and a figure standing in the foreground. The composition is loose and free, with Rembrandt's signature use of hatched lines and crosshatching to create the illusion of volume and depth. The quick, gestural lines of the etching, as well as its small size, suggest that it may have been a preliminary study for a larger work, a practice Rembrandt was known to undertake.