Rembrandt van Rijn’s The Little Children Being Brought To Jesus, also known as The Hundred Guilder Print, is a famous etching and drypoint print completed in 1649. This religious artwork features Christ surrounded by sick people receiving children. It is considered one of Rembrandt’s most successful prints and played a significant role during the middle of his career as an artist.
The Hundred Guilder Print was worked on throughout the 1640s and marked the center of Rembrandt’s development as a printmaker. There are two states of the print, the first and second, with subtle variations between them. The image depicts Christ sitting down with one arm around a child while other children surround him. Behind them stand adults, some holding infants or aiding those who need support.
The Little Children Being Brought To Jesus portrays kindness, compassion, and acceptance. Rembrandt masterfully captures each person’s emotion through their posture and facial expressions using skillful techniques such as chiaroscuro which adds depth to the scene by utilizing contrast between light and dark areas. Overall this piece remains one of his best-known works that conveys theological ideas while evoking emotional responses in viewers from all walks of life.
