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.