Henk Schiffmacher’s tattoo team is inking a full Rembrandt etching onto the back of Bo Kwakernaak, a job expected to take about twenty hours.
The image is The Descent from the Cross, which Rembrandt made in 1633.
The project grew out of Schiffmacher’s upcoming stint at the Rembrandthuis: at the end of October he swaps his studio on the Ceintuurbaan for the museum for two weeks, and visitors there can get a Rembrandt tattoo of their own.
Choosing the right back
That collaboration sparked the idea of bringing along a real Rembrandt work too, which meant finding a back big enough and in good enough condition to carry it.
According to Schiffmacher, the skin had to be free of scars and not too muscular, with no steroid use and not too many moles.
Bo was chosen from fifty applicants, and Schiffmacher says his back was ideal.
Speaking during the session, Bo said he was delighted with the tattoo, though a little less so while the needle was at work.
If Bo’s twenty hours under the needle have you thinking about some ink of your own, here is how to pick the right studio in the city.