The plate was not part of any of the major, early collections and is almost certainly not anymore in existence.

Around 1630 Rembrandt etched a series of beggars. It is generally assumed that he was inspired by a series of beggars made by Callot in 1622. He copied the long parallel lines Callot used to indicate shadows.
In turn, Rembrandt’s work has inspired many others, like Quast, Savery, van Vliet, van Schendel and Bloemaert, to produce series of beggars and other ‘street types’.

Although initially accepted by Gersaint, Hind and later Biörklund, many other authors consider this the work of a pupil or at least retouched.
Blanc and Münz suggested Johannes van Vliet, Seymour Haden and White-Boon suggested Jan Lievens, based on the background.
Seidlitz, Campbell Dodgson, Coppier and Singer also question the authenticity.
Hinterding considers the work authentic, but reworked by another hand, possibly already from the 1st state.

NH lists eight states, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th state are ‘new’. Most other authors list four states. All states are contemporary.
The differences in states are mainly related to the shading of the face and the right leg. There are variations in the way the authors consider the changes important enough to represent a new state.

Of the 6th state (NH) and 8th state (NH final/4th state WB final) only one impression is known, resp. in the Albertina and in the Rijksmuseum.

H 72, BB 31-N, G 160, M 70, Mz 285, RA 476-478, Cl 164, W 164, Bl 131, Du 163, CD 286
Hinterding 2008, p. 313ff;

NH: 8th and final state/WB: 4th and final state.
A very good, dark impression.
Sheet 72 x 39 mm, thread margins of approx. 1 to 2 mm at three sides, At the bottom the sheet is trimmed about 11 mm within the platemark, cutting of the feet and the monogram (-13%).
No watermark, vertical chain lines at approx. 23 mm.

In the collection of John Villarino, an American set designer;

Rembrandt, de fotograaf, Westfries Museum (Hoorn), June 2024 – January 2025;