Lieven Willemsz van Coppenol, Writing Master: the Larger Plate (copy)

Description

Lieven Willemsz van Coppenol, Writing Master: the Larger Plate (copy) presents the professional identity of its sitter through a portrait associated with Rembrandt’s composition. The Metropolitan Museum of Art catalogs this undated etching as a work after Rembrandt. The copy designation distinguishes it from the original larger-plate portrait while preserving the subject’s name and occupation.

The title brings the practice of handwriting into the portrait’s meaning: Coppenol is remembered here as a writing master, someone whose skill depended on the controlled movement of the hand. The image belongs to a tradition in which a likeness could also express learning and professional accomplishment. Its etched language connects the study of an individual with the circulation of Rembrandt’s portrait compositions through the work of other makers.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Rembrandt collection.