A Man with a Short Beard and Embroidered Cloak 1631

Rembrandt van Rijn created this etching of A Man with a Short Beard and Embroidered Cloak in the Netherlands sometime in the 17th century. The image, made with etching, demonstrates how the relatively new medium of printmaking allowed artists to create and disseminate images widely in Dutch society. The sitter’s rich clothing suggests a connection to the world of commerce that defined the Netherlands at this time. The Dutch Golden Age saw an unprecedented expansion of maritime trade, and with it, the rise of a new, powerful merchant class. The sitter’s confident gaze implies that he belongs to this influential group. The development of art institutions in the Netherlands also contributed to the demand for portraiture like this. Civic guard portraiture and history paintings depicting key moments in the history of the Dutch Republic created a market for art that promoted new social identities and values. Historians consult archives and period documents to reconstruct these institutional and social contexts, offering insights into the changing role of art in society.