Sordid and Sacred: the Beggars in Rembrandt's Etchings June 8, 2007

Rembrandt Van Rijn (1606-69) is perhaps one of the world's most well known and most prolific artists. Rembrandt is also renowned as one of the best and most sensitive of printmakers. He created at least 300 prints in his lifetime. That he repeatedly chose beggars as the subject of his etchings is not surprising as the beggar was a common subject in 17th century Dutch genre prints and paintings. Many of Rembrandt's etchings are biblical scenes with biblical figures portrayed as beggars.