Jan Antonides van der Linden, Physician

Rembrandt van Rijn

A 19th century impression of Bartsch’s fifth and final state and Usticke’s seventh state of seven. Published and printed by J. Kay in “A Collection of Etchings; Mostly Original,” London, 1826.

Jan Antonides van der Linden (1609-64) was a famous physician and a friend of Nicholas Tulp. After working for many years in Franeker and presenting the city with its botanical gardens, he left in 1651 to become a professor of medicine in Leiden.

Rembrandt's etched portrait of van der Linden was intended to accompany a publication of Hippocrates's writings on medicine, with a commentary by van der Linden. Many documents concerning the project have survived, which confirm that the publisher, Daniel van Gaesbeecq, commissioned the work in 1665. Among the conditions stipulated, was that the portrait be engraved. However, Rembrandt chose to make an etching, which is probably the reason his portrait of van der Linden was not included in the publication.