Rembrandt Drawing at a Window, 1648 by Rembrandt

This self-portrait, done when Rembrandt was forty-two, shows the firm and industrious lines of his heavy face as he searches that face in a mirror. The eyes are clear, but the lines on the face show the effects of the intense concentration and strain to which he subjected himself. This is a strongly worked plate carried to a high finish. Whilst not notably exploratory technically, it shows command of the method. This etching is contemporary with the Hundred Guilder Print and he may be imagined working on it in just these conditions.