Portret van een onbekende man, voorheen geïdentificeerd als Rembrandt van Rijn 1835

This portrait of an unknown man, formerly thought to be Rembrandt van Rijn, was made by Achille Martinet, an engraver working in 19th-century France. At this time, the concept of the ‘artist’ was very much in formation. The art academy, the art market, and the art museum were becoming central to cultural life. The image carries associations with Dutch Golden Age painting, which had become a valued part of European cultural heritage. The curators of the Rijksmuseum, where this print now resides, would have been well aware of the commercial and cultural capital that could accrue from an association with Rembrandt. This image creates meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations, but as historians, we must ask, what is real, and what is projected? The resources of social history can help us understand the cultural forces at play in the making and interpretation of art.