Buste van een man met een muts c. 1616 - 1719

Editor: Here we have "Bust of a Man Wearing a Cap," attributed to Rembrandt van Rijn, dating roughly from 1616 to 1719. It's an etching and looks like a portrait drawing. There’s a melancholy feel about this fellow. What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: You know, I feel a powerful sense of introspection radiating from him. The hatching lines, they almost seem to vibrate with an internal energy. He’s bundled in shadows, which is funny when the technique seems to push volume over tone – like we're seeing inside his mind through light and dark contrast! Ever felt like that, gazing inwards? Editor: Absolutely! I guess that’s part of what gives the drawing so much emotion! It really feels personal. Curator: Indeed! Consider that period...the 17th century was a turbulent era of discovery and doubt. This print, perhaps made much later, speaks to something timeless about the human condition - a soul searching for meaning in an uncertain world, maybe even in hindsight! It makes me wonder, who was this man to Rembrandt? And what story was he trying to tell, if at all. Is that too much to ask of a print?! Editor: I think it's what art is all about. The personal merging with universal themes. Curator: Precisely! The artist creates the map; we, the viewers, become the cartographers, charting our own courses across it. Editor: Definitely given me a new perspective. I was ready to move past another old master but there's life here if you know where to look!