.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The etched portraits of the late 1650's are arguably Rembrandt's greatest and most elaborate. During this period he portrayed a number of fellow artists, collectors, publishers and craftsmen – men whom he respected and was friendly with. While his family portraits are mostly quick, spontaneous sketches, these more formal portraits are complex investigations into the character of his sitters. The present portrait of the goldsmith Jan Lutma is perhaps one of the most captivating portraits of all.
Jan Lutma (c.1584-1669) was one of the leading goldsmiths and jewelers in Amsterdam at the time, and a great collector of prints – his son Jan Lutma the Younger was an etcher. There is a gentle pride in the way the aging craftsman presents himself, seated in a large armchair, surrounded by the accoutrements and products of his profession. A hammer and punches are placed on the table next to him, there is a chased silver bowl, and in his right hand he holds a figurine or candlestick.
Yet Rembrandt shows him sunk deep in thought, almost unaware or simply uninterested in the act of portrayal. His eyes are shadowed and half-closed, attesting to the fact that his eyesight was beginning to wane. This work is testament to Rembrandt’s skill and deeply considered approach to his sitter; he conveys the sense of gentle resignation, as Lutma’s passion for his profession is threatened by his age and failing eyesight – an issue of some concern to Rembrandt himself.
Few portraits in Rembrandt’s graphic oeuvre convey a stronger sense of atmosphere and personal presence and are more convincing in the depiction of the textures and surfaces than fine, first-state impressions of Jan Lutma, Goldsmith.
In the catalogue of the Weisbach sale at Gutekunst & Klipstein in Bern in 1954, the present impression is described as 'one of the treasures of the collection'. Compared to the first state-impressions of the collections Aylesford, Theobald and von Hagens, the cataloguer only considered the first one as equal in quality to the present sheet. Their standards must have been very high indeed, as the impression that once belonged to Henry Studdy Theobald and later to Sam Josefowitz was sold in these rooms on 7 December 2023 for the record price of £302,400 (incl. premium).
Jan Lutma (c.1584-1669) was one of the leading goldsmiths and jewelers in Amsterdam at the time, and a great collector of prints – his son Jan Lutma the Younger was an etcher. There is a gentle pride in the way the aging craftsman presents himself, seated in a large armchair, surrounded by the accoutrements and products of his profession. A hammer and punches are placed on the table next to him, there is a chased silver bowl, and in his right hand he holds a figurine or candlestick.
Yet Rembrandt shows him sunk deep in thought, almost unaware or simply uninterested in the act of portrayal. His eyes are shadowed and half-closed, attesting to the fact that his eyesight was beginning to wane. This work is testament to Rembrandt’s skill and deeply considered approach to his sitter; he conveys the sense of gentle resignation, as Lutma’s passion for his profession is threatened by his age and failing eyesight – an issue of some concern to Rembrandt himself.
Few portraits in Rembrandt’s graphic oeuvre convey a stronger sense of atmosphere and personal presence and are more convincing in the depiction of the textures and surfaces than fine, first-state impressions of Jan Lutma, Goldsmith.
In the catalogue of the Weisbach sale at Gutekunst & Klipstein in Bern in 1954, the present impression is described as 'one of the treasures of the collection'. Compared to the first state-impressions of the collections Aylesford, Theobald and von Hagens, the cataloguer only considered the first one as equal in quality to the present sheet. Their standards must have been very high indeed, as the impression that once belonged to Henry Studdy Theobald and later to Sam Josefowitz was sold in these rooms on 7 December 2023 for the record price of £302,400 (incl. premium).