Man in a Turban Facing Left

Art Historical Context

Step into the intricate world of 17th-century Dutch printmaking with *Man in a Turban Left*, an etching by Jan Lievens Created during the Dutch Golden Age, this work captures a striking profile of a man in headwear, evoking the era's fascination with exotic portraits and expressive "tronies"—character studies that emphasized dramatic poses and attire. Lievens, a-born artist and close contemporary of Rembrandt, excelled in such intimate, character-driven compositions, blending realism with theatrical flair. As a fourth-state etching, this print represents a refined stage in Lievens' meticulous process. Etching involved coating a copper plate with acid-resistant ground, scratching lines through it, and immersing the plate in acid to "bite" the grooves—yielding the fine, fluid lines that define Dutch prints. The modest plate size (6 3/8 × 5 5/8 in.) made it ideal for collectors, allowing detailed textures like the turban's folds to shine on the slightly larger sheet. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Rogers Fund, 1970), this piece highlights Lievens' mastery of the medium and the cultural curiosity of 17th-century Europe toward Eastern influences, amid booming global trade. A testament to technical innovation and artistic curiosity, it invites you to ponder the man's untold story.

About the Artist

Jan Lievens · 1607–1674

Jan Lievens (1607–1674) was born in Leiden and showed exceptional artistic promise from an early age, beginning his training with the local painter Joris van Schooten before traveling to Amsterdam around 1617 to study for two years under Pieter Lastman—the same teacher who would later instruct Rembrandt van Rijn. Lievens and Rembrandt, near-contemporaries born in the same city, subsequently shared...