Bust of an Oriental Man

Description

Jan Lievens shared studio space and artistic inspiration with Rembrandt. This print showcases a favorite theme of both artists, the orientalizing character head or bust. The unidentified sitter wears both a turban and a necklace; the latter seems to bear the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece, an exclusive western noble order. Similar articles of clothing recur throughout Rembrandt’s paintings and prints; perhaps this model is simply wearing a borrowed turban, among other communal studio props.

Bust of an Oriental Man

Jan Lievens

1627/74

Accession Number

61091

Medium

Etching on cream laid paper

Dimensions

Image/sheet, trimmed within platemark: 27.6 × 22.6 cm (10 7/8 × 8 15/16 in.)

Classification

etching

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Bernard F. Rogers