During the 1630s Rembrandt produced many self-portrait etchings. Here the costume is the true subject matter, and the print thus belongs to a tradition of depictions of figures in exotic dress that appealed strongly to Castiglione. There was a well-established trade in prints between Italy and the Low Countries, and Rembrandt’s etchings would have been available to Castiglione through print dealers in both Rome and Genoa.