Student at a Table by the Light of an Oil Lamp, Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1642
etching, h 146mm × w 133mm More details
The man in the dark room is barely visible. He is studying by the light of an oil lamp. Resting his forehead on his hand, he seems to be reflecting on what he has just read. Rembrandt achieved this powerful contrast of light and dark by scratching crosshatched lines in the copperplate. He never again made such a dark print.
