The Ringball Player, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1654
etching, h 94mm × w 143mm More details
This is an unusual composition. Prominently in view is a man relaxing at a table, but it is the brightly illuminated ringball player behind the partition, who draws our attention. He drives the ball with his club, while two gentlemen wait their turn. This etching affords only a glimpse of the country inn and of the ringball alley. It therefore seems like a randomly chosen detail, a moment in time captured ‘from life’.
