The artist's mother seated at a table, looking right: three quarter length c. 1631

This etching of the artist’s mother was created by Rembrandt van Rijn, most likely in the 1630s. During the Dutch Golden Age, women held a crucial, yet often unseen, role in the domestic and economic spheres. As the matriarch of the family, Rembrandt’s mother would have been responsible for managing the household and family finances, especially crucial after the death of her husband. Here, Rembrandt portrays his mother not in a traditional, idealized manner, but with a stark realism. Her aged face, framed by a dark head covering, speaks to a life marked by both hardship and resilience. The minute details etched into the plate highlight the wrinkles and lines of her face, offering an intimate, unvarnished look at aging and womanhood. It’s as if Rembrandt seeks to honor her lived experiences, challenging the conventional representations of women at the time. In this small, yet powerful image, Rembrandt elevates the ordinary, transforming a personal portrait into a poignant reflection on family, aging, and the often-unacknowledged strength of women in 17th-century Dutch society.