The copperplate was not part of any of the early sales or collections and is probably not in existence.

This rare print is part of a series of beggars and street folk Rembrandt etched around 1630. He may have just been inspired by the scenes of everyday life that surrounded him, it may also be meant as practice for the many figures he used in the genre scenes he started making some years later. There is no doubt that he was inspired by the work of Jacques Callot, of which he owned various albums. Callot was the first artist to draw ‘ordinary’ people.

According to Hind Rembrandt used the same model as in B 173.

NH lists no less than nine copies of which two anonymous ones in the same direction (copy D 89 x 65 mm, copy F 214 x 272 mm).
The other seven are in reverse. Copy A is by François Vivares, included in the 200 Etchings, (his nr 6, 78 x 54 mm, WB 1), also included in the collection ‘Rembrandt in B&W’, nr 377. Copy B is by David Deuchar, signed D.Deuchar fect (89 x 60 mm, WB 2). There are four more anonymous copies.

The plate is not by Rembrandt according to Singer.

All authors list one state only. Early impressions show slightly rough edges (NH).
Nowell-Usticke reports a trial proof which is 49 mm wide, auctioned at Boerner´s on 8 November 1921 (lot 598).

H 9, BB 30-2, G 156, M 141, Mz 113, RA 458, Cl 160, W 160, Bl 126, Du 159, CD 9
Hinterding 2008, p. 306-307;

NHD/WB: Only state.
Small repaired tear at the upper left corner, a few thin, backed areas along the right edge, verso.
Sheet 83/84 x 47 mm, no margins trimmed on or near the platemark (+ 1%).
No watermark, horizontal chain lines at approx. 22 mm.

In the collection of Wilhelm Heinrich Ferdinand Karl Graf von Lepell (1755-1826, Lugt 1672), a German diplomat, art writer and collector. His collector’s mark in black ink verso. This collection was bequeathed to Friedrich Wilhelm III, King of Prussia.
In 1835 it became part of the collection of the Kupferstichkabinett der Staatlichen Museen, Berlin (Lugt 1606). Their mark in black ink and their deaccession stamp in brown ink, marked d 86 (Lugt 234), verso;
In the collection of Max Hausdorff (d. > 1924, Germany, Lugt 4071), his collector’s mark in black ink verso; His collection was sold at Amsler & Ruthhardt (Berlin) in 1924.

Rembrandt in Zwart-Wit, Westfries Museum (Hoorn), Het Markiezenhof (Bergen op Zoom), Museum Gouda, March 2013 – October 2014;
Rembrandt in Black & White: Bozar Expo (Brussels), February – May 2016;
Rembrandt, de fotograaf, Westfries Museum (Hoorn), June 2024 – January 2025;