Peasant Family on the Tramp (II/III)

In this print from 1652, Rembrandt depicts a family of vagrants. A father holding a small boy's hand is followed by a woman carrying a baby on her back. Their clothes are ragged and patched, and the woman is barefoot, though the boy is wearing what appears to be a thick coat. Although the figure of the man is relatively detailed, the etching is very sketchy and freely handled and Rembrandt has included no hint at a background. A slight reflection at the foot of the man's staff might provide the merest suggestion of wet ground. On the right-hand side at ninety degrees, Rembrandt has included a sketch of the head of a peasant wearing a hat which intersects with the staff. This may be a remnant of an abandoned composition on the same plate or simply an unfinished study.