Rembrandt's mother seated at a table looking right: three-quarter-lenght 1631

This print was made by Rembrandt van Rijn. Here, Rembrandt depicts his mother using etching, a printmaking technique involving biting lines into a metal plate with acid, in order to hold ink. The material presence of this print derives from its making: a matrix of lines, each one dug out with effort, which when printed create a surprisingly rich tonal range. Notice how the velvety darkness of her shawl is achieved with many short, close-packed strokes, while the lighter areas, like the planes of her face, have much less hatching. Rembrandt was a master of this technique, and through his skill, transformed what could have been a dry mechanical process into one capable of great emotional depth. We see in this close attention to detail the profound respect and affection that Rembrandt felt for his mother. It serves as a reminder that even the most apparently straightforward image is born of a complex combination of materials, process, and social context.