The Artist's Mother, Head only, Full Face

Rembrandt's mother would appear in a number of his artworks, across a variety of mediums. In this case we find her portrait within a powerful etching in which she is hooded and looking down in a thoughtful manner.

This particular artwork would become known as The Artist's Mother, Head only, Full Face, and fairly descriptive titles were given to many of Rembrandt's work by art historians in order to allow us to better identify specific pieces within such a huge output of work across his lifetime. The artist would use the medium of etching as a means to earning more money from his work, thanks to the printing process which enabled him to create copies of his designs and sell these on at highly competitive prices. There were specialists in this process whose services Rembrandt could call upon in order to make the final prints as professional and accurate to the original design as possible.

The precise techniques used by Rembrandt were never documented in any great detail, as the artist liked to keep a certain level of secrecy around his work in this medium. He did consult and work with printing specialists in order to better understand the techniques involved, but once he had established himself, he was less willing to be as open anymore. We do know that he used the printing process also a means of testing his designs, with it allowing him to continually tweak artworks and then release further series of prints. He was something of a perfectionist in this regard, and enjoyed the flexibility given to him when working with etchings. He even kept information on his process away from his closest and most respected assistants.

This etching was printed in 1628, as signed on the front and written in notes on the back as well. One copy from this series is now owned by the V&A Museum in London which itself holds a substantial catalogue of old masters prints such as this. They have described it as from the second state, which means there was probably one earlier set of prints produced before several changes were then made for this one. It is also listed as a bequest from someone called C.A. Ionides and many of the major art institutions have built up collections based on generous donations in this way.

Object Notes and Research Context

Rijksmuseum records for this 1628 print identify the subject as the artist's mother, head only, full face, and connect the image with Neeltje Willemsdr. Zuytbrouck. It belongs to the first moment of Rembrandt's etched portrait studies, when a small plate could be used to test facial structure, ageing skin and the expressive possibilities of short bitten lines.

The full-face format makes the print more confrontational than the three-quarter bust version. Instead of costume or setting, the print emphasises the discipline of looking: the old face becomes a field of lines, shadows and minute adjustments. That makes it useful beside Rembrandt's self-portrait etchings and his wider printmaking technique.

The full-face print is also useful for explaining why Rembrandt's family images are tricky. Even where tradition identifies a model as his mother, the object can function as a study head rather than as a formal family portrait. The family connection is useful context, but print technique and the close study of ageing remain the central issues.

The print's small scale should be made clear. Readers may arrive expecting a famous oil painting, but this is a compact etched experiment in line, tone and expression. The face is built through short marks that gather around eyes, mouth and cheeks. That makes the page a natural support link for the etchings and early-life pages.

A final useful point is viewing distance. Online reproductions enlarge the head far beyond the size of the plate, but the original print is intimate and concentrated. Explaining that scale helps readers understand why the etched marks seem so dense and why Rembrandt's early prints reward close, slow looking.

Further Rembrandt Context

This shorter legacy page remains part of the Rembrandt archive. For fuller context, use the refreshed Rembrandt pages below, which explain the artist's biography, media, technique, attribution issues and major works in greater depth.

• Rembrandt
• Rembrandt etchings
• Rembrandt Style and Technique
• Rembrandt Workshop and Attribution

For secure object data, attribution and collection history, compare The Artist's Mother, Head only, Full Face with the relevant museum or catalogue record before treating older page text as final.

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