Artwork

Sheet of Studies including a Woman Lying Ill in Bed

Sheet of Studies including a Woman Lying Ill in Bed, by Rembrandt, ink, 1642
Sheet of Studies including a Woman Lying Ill in Bed, by Rembrandt, ink, 1642

Sheet of Studies including a Woman Lying Ill in Bed is an ink print by the Baroque artist Rembrandt. It dates from 1642 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Rembrandt’s sheet of studies, dated around 1642, presents a group scene centered on a woman confined to bed. The work is an etching, part of a series of exploratory drawings that capture a moment of domestic care. Its composition gathers several figures around the patient, emphasizing the immediacy of the encounter.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure is a woman whose facial expression conveys discomfort, suggesting illness or injury. Surrounding attendants—likely family members or caregivers—lean in to observe or assist her, highlighting themes of vulnerability and communal response to suffering within a private interior.

Technique & Style

Executed in etching, the image relies on bold, sweeping lines and stark chiaroscuro to model forms. The marks retain a sketch‑like quality, with rough, scratched textures that give the surface a tactile depth. This loose handling creates a sense of spontaneity, as if the scene were captured in a rapid study rather than a finished composition.

History & Provenance

The sheet belongs to Rembrandt’s mid‑career period, when he frequently produced experimental prints alongside his paintings. Although specific ownership records are limited, the work is catalogued among his known studies and has been referenced in scholarly listings of his print output from the early 1640s.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Rembrandt

Artist

Rembrandt

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.