Rembrandt: Student reading by the Light of a Candle (Four Versions)

The man in the dark room is barely visible. He is studying by the light of an oil lamp. Resting his forehead on his hand, he seems to be reflecting on what he has just read. Rembrandt achieved this powerful contrast of light and dark by scratching crosshatched lines in the copperplate. He never again made such a dark print. All the four versions showed in this movie are now in the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam.