Portretbuste van de moeder van Rembrandt 1708 - 1779

This etching, made by Honoré Coussin, portrays Rembrandt’s mother. The image presents an intimate and unidealized view of aging. Notice the motif of the downcast eyes. This symbol transcends cultures, appearing in funerary art across civilizations as a representation of grief, mourning, and introspection. As seen in ancient Roman sarcophagi, and echoed here, this gesture speaks to a deep, primal connection, a shared human experience. The wrinkles and lines etched into her face are not merely signs of age, but a map of her life, reminiscent of the ancient Roman concept of *verism*—the hyperrealistic representation of one’s features to underscore virtue and experience. This connects us to the past, and elicits an emotional response rooted in our collective memory. The depiction here, like the reappearance of classical motifs in the Renaissance, reminds us that symbols never truly disappear. They resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings, carrying with them echoes of the past.