Aantekening betreffende Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn after 1859

This is a handwritten note from 1868 by Jacobus Ludovicus Cornet now held at the Rijksmuseum. It concerns the artist Rembrandt van Rijn and appears to describe a drawing by the Dutch master. The text reflects the reverence for Rembrandt that had taken hold by the mid-19th century in the Netherlands. As director of the Museum de Lakenhal in Leiden, Cornet played a key role in shaping Rembrandt's legacy. His note speaks to the institutional apparatus by which artistic reputations are made and sustained. The act of carefully documenting and authenticating Rembrandt's drawings speaks to the burgeoning art historical scholarship of the time. Cornet's role as a museum director positions him as a gatekeeper, mediating between the artist's work and the public. To understand this note fully, we might consult archives of museum records. We can examine letters and publications from the period, and, of course, seek to locate the Rembrandt drawing Cornet discusses. This reveals how our understanding of art is shaped by social and institutional contexts.