The etched portraits of the late 1650's are arguably Rembrandt's greatest and most elaborate. During this period he portrayed a number of fellow artists, collectors, publishers and craftsmen – men whom he respected and was friendly with. While his family portraits are mostly quick, spontaneous sketches, these more formal portraits are complex investigations into the character of his sitters. The present portrait of the goldsmith Jan Lutma is perhaps one of the most captivating portraits of all.
Jan Lutma (circa 1584-1669) was one of the leading goldsmiths and jewelers in Amsterdam at the time, and a great collector of prints – his son Jan Lutma the Younger was an etcher. There is a gentle pride in the way the aging craftsman presents himself, seated in a large armchair, surrounded by the accoutrements and products of his profession. A hammer and punches are placed on the table next to him, there is a chased silver bowl, and in his right hand he holds a figurine or candlestick.
Yet Rembrandt shows him sunk deep in thought, almost unaware or simply uninterested in the act of portrayal. His eyes are shadowed and half-closed, attesting to the fact that his eyesight was beginning to wane. This work is testament to Rembrandt’s skill and deeply considered approach to his sitter; he conveys the sense of gentle resignation, as Lutma’s passion for his work is threatened by his age and failing eyesight – an issue of some concern to Rembrandt himself.
Few portraits in Rembrandt’s graphic oeuvre convey a stronger sense of atmosphere and personal presence and are more convincing in the depiction of the textures and surfaces than that of Jan Lutma the Elder.
According to New Hollstein, the second and third states are distinguished by the addition of the barely visible inscription F. Lutma Ex. in the densely worked area at lower right. It seems however that the inscription above the table identifying the sitter, which appears in the second state, and the one underneath the table were added at the same time, but that the latter only becomes legible in later impressions, as the shading began to wear. Should this be the case, the second and third states were in fact identical. What we do know with certainty is that François Lutma's address under the table had been added in Rembrandt's lifetime, since the artist outlived François by five years.