Study of a Man Talking to a Woman Seated on the Left

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn

about 1635–1636

J. Paul Getty Museum

A sketch in brown ink depicts two figures, a seated woman on the left and a standing man on the right, engaged in conversation. The drawing is on aged paper with visible water stains. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn communicated the emotional exchange between these two people with economy and force. He clearly demonstrated the man's stern admonishment as he turns to face the woman's darkened gaze. Concentrating on both faces and the man's hands--the carriers of the drama--Rembrandt used only a few calligraphic strokes to describe the pair's clothing and give them a sense of three-dimensionality. He also engaged the paper, making the blank areas as active in describing the scene as the lines themselves. Even in a rapid sketch, Rembrandt created a sense of narrative, drama, and ch