Study of a man wearing a turban, bust-length, in the manner of Rembrandt

Worlidge, a portrait painter and etcher, divided much of his working life between London and Bath and is credited with introducing both William Hoare (1707-1792) and Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) to the work of Rembrandt, whose drypoint etching style he imitated. The present drawing is clearly inspired by Rembrandt's Oriental Heads series, both in costume and pose, and it demonstrates the direct, confident draughtsmanship which is characteristic of Worlidge at his best. In elements of the short, broken line one can see the characteristics and influence of Rembrandt’s etching technique.

The eighteenth-century cleric and author William Gilpin noted that ‘among the imitators of Rembrandt, we should not forget our countryman Worlidge; who has very ingeniously followed the manner of that master; and sometimes improved upon him.’ (W. Gilpin, An Essay upon Prints, London, 1768, p. 119.)