A bearded Man wearing a Velvet Cap with a Jewel Clasp

The present work is an example of the delight Rembrandt took in depicting a wide range of different textures. Celebrated for his understanding of light and shade, his ability to evoke different surfaces is equally impressive and plays an important role in particular in his earlier works. This portrait brings together a variety of materials and textures: the fur of the collar, the sitter's beard and skin, the velvet of the cap and the gemstone in the jewel clasp. These subtle effects can only be appreciated fully in fine early impressions such as the present one, which are rare, as the plate wore quickly.

The present impression is perhaps a little weaker than the brilliant Cracherode impression in the British Museum.