The Dramatic Image: Baroque Prints of the 17th Century

Johannes Lutma the Elder (about 1584–1669) was a highly regarded Dutch silversmith active in Amsterdam. He was a friend of Rembrandt, who also etched his portrait. Lutma is shown here in a portrait by his son sitting at his workbench, design drawings laid out before him. In one hand he holds a smithing tool (perhaps a scraper or burnisher); in the other are his spectacles. While the Baroque monumentality of this portrait is evident, it lacks the full effects of chiaroscuro.