Portret van Rembrandt van Rijn 1882

This is Charles Albert Waltner’s portrait of Rembrandt van Rijn, an etching made at an unknown date. Looking at this print, we should consider the public role of art and the politics of imagery. Waltner lived in France during the nineteenth century when national identity was closely tied to cultural achievements. Reproducing and circulating images of Rembrandt, a Dutch master, had social and cultural implications. The etching revives Rembrandt as a symbol of artistic genius. This was a time when the institutions of art, like academies and museums, played a crucial role in shaping artistic taste and national identity. Waltner, through his skilled reproduction, participates in the construction of Rembrandt as a cultural icon. To fully appreciate this image, we would delve into the history of printmaking, studying how reproductive technologies shape our understanding of art. We need to consider the cultural values and institutional structures that determine which artists and artworks are celebrated and remembered.