The Strolling Musicians
Rembrandt van Rijn · c. 1635 · Cleveland Museum of Art
Guide
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From the museum
Although 17th-century Holland produced neither noteworthy composers nor renowned performers, rarely has another culture produced so many visual images of music as the Dutch. In this depiction of a pair of itinerant musicians wearily shuffling from door to door, Rembrandt reveals his compassionate understanding of human frailties. The hurdy-gurdy and bagpipes, as depicted here, were frequently associated with itinerant beggars and blind street singers in paintings and prints of the period.
The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC0
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Details
- Maker
- Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669)
- Date
- c. 1635
- Medium
- etching and drypoint
- Dimensions
- Sheet: 14.5 x 11.8 cm (5 11/16 x 4 5/8 in.); Platemark: 14.1 x 11.5 cm (5 9/16 x 4 1/2 in.)
- Place of origin
- Netherlands
- Held by
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · Not on view
- Credit line
- Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Image: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0
