Old Woman Sleeping c. 1636
rembrandtvanrijn
theartinstituteofchicago
drawing, print, etching, paper, ink
pencil drawn
drawing
amateur sketch
light pencil work
etching
pencil sketch
charcoal drawing
paper
charcoal art
portrait reference
ink
pencil drawing
portrait drawing
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.
Comments
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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