Christ Washing the Disciples’ Feet c. 1640 - 1650

Rembrandt van Rijn made this drawing, Christ Washing the Disciples’ Feet, with pen and brown ink on paper. Rembrandt’s method here is quite direct. He renders the scene with quick, economical strokes, allowing the architecture and figures to emerge from a network of lines. There’s a raw, immediate quality to the work that conveys the intensity of the moment. The sketch shows the biblical scene of Christ washing the feet of his disciples, an act of humility and service. In the 17th century, the Dutch Republic was a center of trade and commerce. Labor and class distinctions were very evident, yet Rembrandt consistently elevated ordinary people. The immediacy of the drawing allows us to see the physical act of making, and the artist's hand at work. It’s a reminder that all art, even the most seemingly ethereal, is rooted in the material world.