Beggar Woman leaning on a Stick

The theme of beggars and paupers was dear to Rembrandt from the beginning of his career (see lots 47-49). In the 1640s and early 1650s, the artist returned to the theme in a number of drawings and etchings (see lot 61). The expressiveness and honest appearance of these nameless inhabitants of the streets was fundamental to the realism Rembrandt tried to achieve in his prints.
The fine, delicate etching lines with which Rembrandt built up the image convey a sense of uncertainty and frailty, which echoes the vulnerable state of the woman with a walking stick depicted here.