Second oriental head

Rembrandt and Lievens were particularly fascinated with the faces of old people, as these offered ample possibilities of expression. This etching comes from the series of four sheets that Rembrandt made based on his friend’s prints. Rembrandt slightly adapted the model, and - compared to Lievens’s etching - he imparted the bust with a greater sense of majesty. The series became known as the „Oriental Heads“; in fact, this was a tronie (Dutch for a „face“), i.e. rather than as a portrait, the face or bust served as a study of emotions, a facial expression, or a stock character in costume.