Seated beggar and his dog

Rembrandt van Rijn produced this etching in 1630 during his Leiden period, showing a beggar seated on a bank with his dog. The figure is believed to be a self-portrait of the young artist. His creased forehead, frown, and open mouth revealing teeth resemble features in his etched self-portrait from the same year.

Rembrandt modeled this work on French artist Jacques Callot's series of beggar prints. The small etching measures just 116 x 70 mm. It appeared in major Rembrandt exhibitions at the National Gallery in London in 1992 and 1999. The British Museum and other collections hold impressions. Now at the National Gallery in London.