Old Woman Sleeping by Rembrandt van Rijn

Old Woman Sleeping c. 1636

rembrandtvanrijn's Profile Picture

rembrandtvanrijn

theartinstituteofchicago's Profile Picture

theartinstituteofchicago

drawing, print, etching, paper, ink

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pencil drawn

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drawing

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amateur sketch

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light pencil work

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print

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etching

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pencil sketch

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charcoal drawing

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paper

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charcoal art

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portrait reference

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ink

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pencil drawing

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portrait drawing

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pencil work

Rembrandt van Rijn's etching, "Old Woman Sleeping" (c. 1636), depicts a woman in repose with her head resting on her hand. The etching is renowned for its masterful use of light and shadow, creating a sense of depth and volume. The artist's characteristic use of cross-hatching and stippling produces a rich, textural surface that enhances the realism of the subject. The artwork offers a poignant glimpse into the quiet moments of human existence, captivating audiences with its evocative depiction of old age and slumber.

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Comments

rijksmuseum's Profile Picture
rijksmuseum over 1 year ago

Is this a man or a woman? In the early 18th century the sitter was taken for a dozing man, but later it was thought to be a woman. Rembrandt here takes up the 17th-century genre of pious old women who have fallen asleep while reading the Bible, still holding their reading spectacles.

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