The copperplate was in the collection of an unknown owner (ca 1700) who added two dots. It was later in the sale of De Haan (1767, lot 69), where sold to Fouquet. It then became part of the set of plates subsequently owned and used for printing Recueils by Claude-Henri Watelet (1786), Pierre-François Basan, Henri-Louis Basan (his nr 1374), Auguste Jean (c. 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 in the Fogg Art Museum (Cambridge, USA).

It is the only self-portrait in which he is seen wearing his ‘daily’ attire.
Initially this portrait was dated in the late thirties, before the Self-portrait leaning on a stone sill (B 21 – NH 171), dated 1639. Münz was the first author to date this print later, based on stylistic similarity to other etchings of that period, like The raising of Lazarus (B72). Most authors after him, including Hinterding, support this view.

NH lists seven copies, of which two in the same direction. Copy C is by Costantino Cumano, inscribed Rt Inv Cumano sc (86 x 68 mm, WB 1). Copy D is an anonymous etching (76 x 62 mm).
There are five copies in reverse. Copies A and B are etchings by David Deuchar. A is signed in reverse Rembrandt (81 x 70 mm, WB 2). B is with the head only (40 x 35 mm).
Copy E is an etching attributed to Abraham van Strij (95 x 69mm). Copies D and F are anonymous etchings, one (resp. 76 x 62 mm and 84 x 61 mm). White Boon mentions an etching in reverse signed E.B.W.Zoho 1820 (98 x 64 mm, WB 3).

The etching is considered as special by Coppier.

NH lists three states, only the first state by Rembrandt. The 2nd state (two dots) is ‘new’. Most other authors list one state only. Hind and Münz list two states, only differing in the visibility of the signature. Nowell-Usticke lists three states, from his 2nd state there are impressions by P.Basan, Basan, Jean, Bernard and Beaumont.
In the 1st state (NH/R101-102/NU) the signature is very faint, in later impressions barely visible. Early impressions have rough edges, mainly at the top and right hand side.
In the 2nd state (NH) two dots are added in the upper right corner by an unknown owner.
In the 3rd state (NH, 2nd state NU) the signature is now well visible (probably re-etched). In intermediate prints a short line appears at the top of the diagonal left-to-right shading at the left. In later impressions the line is worn out, as is the signature and the shading at the left.
In the 3rd state (NU) the plate is coarsely rebitten. Spots left of the nose and the upper right forehead are reworked. The signature seems retouched again.
White-Boon mention the retouching of the signature (by another hand) but do not mention the later versions and the inclusion in the Recueil de Basan. Biörklund thinks that the plate had previously been used for another etching and that the signature may have been left on the plate erroneously.

The impressions in the 1^st edition of the Recueil de Basan are unchanged, apart from the reworked signature, and considered by Nowell-Usticke as fine.

In the 1st state: Strasbourg lily.

H 157, BB 38-1, G 12 & 293, M 133, Mz 25, RA 101-103, Cl 26, W 26, Bl 216, Du 26, CD 120
Rembrandt by himself 1999, p. 180; Hinterding 2008, p. 67-68; Baas 2015, p. 52-53;

New Hollstein: 1st state of III/White-Boon: only state.
A good impression on laid paper, the two dots in the right upper corner not yet visible, confirming a 1st state. The signature is weak, but visible. A short tear in the upper left corner, near the (weakly visible) signature. A repaired tear in the lower section, leaving a tiny white spot on the shirt.
Sheet 90 x 63 mm, cut within the platemark at the top and bottom (-2%).
No watermark, horizontal chain lines at approx. 26 mm.

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;