Sheet of Studies, with a Self-portrait, a Beggar, and a Woman and Child, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1651
etching, h 112mm × w 92mm More details
Rembrandt sometimes used his etching plate as a sketchbook. He would combine unrelated motifs together on a single copperplate. The sequence is unclear, but as each print is rotated, a different motif takes precedence. Also striking is the fact that on each plate he began making a self-portrait, which he then left unfinished.
