Oude vrouw met bijbel op de schoot, mogelijk de moeder van Rembrandt 1739 - 1800

Pieter Louw created this print of an old woman, possibly Rembrandt's mother, using etching and engraving around 1750 in Amsterdam. The image shows an elderly woman with a severe expression, wearing a widow’s veil and holding a bible in her lap. The Dutch Republic in the 18th century was a society deeply shaped by its Protestant faith. Louw’s print participates in a visual culture which reveres old age and piety, especially in women. Her glasses and bible suggest learning, but this also invites us to ask who had access to literacy and religious instruction. Louw was active in Amsterdam, a center of Dutch printmaking; the industry there depended upon both civic institutions, like the Haarlem Guild of Saint Luke, and the patronage of wealthy individuals. To better understand this print, we can look to period documents, like inventories of print collections, to understand its circulation, or consult the archives of religious organizations to learn more about the role of women in Dutch spiritual life.