Jan Lutma was a renowned Amsterdam goldsmith who worked in the auricular style. He created the rood screen for the Nieuwe Kerk and befriended Rembrandt, who made this portrait etching.

What technique did Rembrandt use for this portrait?

Rembrandt created this work using etching and drypoint on laid paper. He made multiple states, adding architectural elements and his signature in later versions.

What objects appear in this portrait?

Lutma holds a sculptured candlestick he made himself. On the table beside him sit his tools: a hammer, punches, and a small oval dish showing his auricular metalwork style.

Where Is Jean Lutma? See It at Private Collection

Q: Where can I see this etching?

Impressions exist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the British Museum, and the National Galleries of Scotland, among other collections.

Rembrandt van Rijn made this etching and drypoint portrait of goldsmith Jan Lutma in 1656. The print shows Lutma seated in a leather-backed chair decorated with carved lion's head finials. He holds one of his own creations, a sculptured candlestick, while tools of his trade rest on the table beside him: a hammer, punches, and a small oval dish in the auricular style.

Lutma (c.1584-1669) was born in Emden, East Friesland, and moved to Amsterdam in 1621 after spending time in Paris. He became one of the city's most respected silversmiths, known for working in the auricular style, a flowing decorative approach that resembled ear cartilage. He received major commissions, including the rood screen for Amsterdam's Nieuwe Kerk. His son, Jan Lutma the younger, likely trained as an etcher in Rembrandt's studio.

The print exists in multiple states. In the second state, Rembrandt added a deep alcove and window behind the sitter, along with a glass bottle on the windowsill and his signature in the upper left window pane. The image measures about 19.7 by 14.9 centimeters (roughly 7.75 by 5.88 inches). Impressions are held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the British Museum, and other major collections.