Does any drypoint burr survive in this impression, and what does the plate wear indicate?

Drypoint burr — the ridge of metal thrown up by the needle — holds ink and prints as a soft, velvety black. It is also fragile: it collapses within a few dozen impressions. Where burr is present the sheet is early; where the same passages print thin and grey, it is late. Since the Rijksmuseum catalogues this composition as etching and drypoint, the print has burr to lose, which makes it a usable wear indicator for this plate specifically.

The Rijksmuseum records the technique of this composition as etching and drypoint. Whether drypoint passages exist in this impression, and in what condition, has not been examined.

1. 01Examine the drypoint passages under magnification and raking light.
2. 02Compare the same passages against high-resolution images of impressions whose state is securely catalogued.
3. 03Record the assessment passage by passage rather than as a single verdict on the sheet.

A specialist's assessment against comparator impressions, with the passages compared identified.

• Impression census

• RQ-06Was this impression printed during Rembrandt's lifetime, or later?
• RQ-12Which institutional impressions are the right comparators for assessing wear in this one?