The copperplate was in the sale by Pieter de Haan (1767, lot 47) and was sold via Fouquet to Claude-Henri Watelet (1718-1786). It then became part of the set of plates subsequently owned and used for printing Recueils by Pierre-François Basan (1723-1797), Henri-Louis Basan (his nr 1422), Auguste Jean (ca 1809), Veuve Jean, Auguste and Michel Bernard (1846), Alvin-Beaumont (1906) and Robert Lee Humber (1937). It was sold at the Artemis sale in London (1993) and is now part of a private collection in the UK, on a long-term loan to the Rembrandthuis.

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’.

The woman was probably the same model that appears in Beggar man and beggar woman behind a bank (B 165). Her hat is seen in many other prints.

This print has always been a popular one, judging from the number of copies made after it. NH lists nine, of which four in the same direction. Copy B is signed by Anton Overlaet (1760, two states, one of the woman alone, 67 x 92 mm, WB 3).
Copy C is by David Deuchar, signed Deuchar fct Rembt (80 x 54 mm, WB 2). It is included in the collection “Rembrandt in Black & White”, number 322.
Copy D is part of a group of six prints of beggars on one large sheet, printed by Moses & Harris (214 x 272 mm, WB 7). Copy I is signed by Jean Sauveure Legros, inscribed Rembrandt (71 x 58 mm).
The are five copies in reverse. Copy A is by François Vivares, signed F.V.fecit RHL 1620. It is included in the ‘200 etchings’, later with a 2 added to the top (79 x 52 mm).
Copy E is signed RL (78 x 67 mm, WB 6). Copy F is signed RL 1636 (77 x 56 mm). Copy G shows only the man and is signed RL 1630 (70 x 60 mm, WB 8). Copy H is by Gordon Howe (104 x 74 mm).

The etching is considered as special by Bartsch, De Claussin and Wilson.
The plate was made by a pupil according to Middleton and Seidlitz.
The plate is not by Rembrandt according to Rovinsky (van Vliet) and Singer.

NH lists three states, the final state not by Rembrandt. Most other authors list one state, Nowell-Usticke lists three. From his 2nd state there are later impressions by P.Basan, Jean, Bernard and Beaumont.
In the 1st state (ND, WB only, R459, NU) the plate edges are rough and uneven. The corners are square, the plate is inky. There is a scratch through the man’s cap and several scratches behind his head and back.
In the 2nd state (NH, R460, NU) the top corners are rounded, the scratches through the cap and behind the man’s back are very faint. In later impressions, probably by Basan, a strong new, horizontal one appears between the left hand of the man and the basket of the woman.
In the 3rd state (NH, NU) the plate is entirely rebitten, probably by Bernard. The plate is much darker than in the 1st state.

Early impressions of the 1st state are in the Rijksmuseum, the Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin, the British Museum, the Bibliothèque Nationale and the Pierpont Morgan Gallery in New York. They all have rough plate edges.
Nowell-Usticke considers the impressions (without rework) in the Recueil de Basan to be fine.

H 7, BB 30-A, G 157, M 37, Mz 114, RA 459-460, Cl 161, W 161, Bl 128, Du 160, CD 7
Hinterding 2008, p. 307-308; Rising star 2019, p. 126;

New Hollstein: 2nd state of III/White-Boon: only state.
A good impression on heavy laid paper, probably from a Basan edition, but before the rework of the 3rd state. The scratch between the man’s hand and the woman is well visible. In still later impressions this scratch fades away.
Sheet 86/85 x 74 mm, broad margins of 4 mm all around (+24%).
No watermark, horizontal chain lines at approx. 30 mm.

Rembrandt in Black & White: Chateau de Penthes (Geneva), August-October 2016;
Rembrandt, fotograaf avant-la-lettre, Museum De Reede (Antwerp), January – May 2023;
Rembrandt, 17th century photographer, Daegu Art Museum (Korea), November 2023 – March 2024;
Rembrandt, de fotograaf, Westfries Museum (Hoorn), June 2024 – January 2025;