. . . "Artists first printed fine art images on silk in the 16th century. Judging by the quality of this impression, and from the fact that there is evidence of other artists producing prints on silk in the Netherlands around the same time, it is possible that this example was printed in the 17th century, during Rembrandt's lifetime. However, there are fewer than a dozen recorded examples of Rembrandt etchings on silk, and so it is more likely that it dates from the 18th century, when the mania for collecting rare proofs of Rembrandt etchings was at its height."@en .