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Spaightwood Galleries
Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669)
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One of the greatest painters and printmakers of all time, Rembrandt's prints have been treasured since the seventeenth century, reprinted after his death, and reworked when they have become worn. Three of our impressions are posthumous impressions before reworking; the fourth, Young Harringh, was taken after the plate was trimmed in the late eighteenth century and some re-etching of light areas took place. Comparing our impressions to early impressions, one can see that the lines in the images are not as dark as they were originally, but they have not lost definition. The plates still print well (two of them very well) and Rembrandt's etching strokes are still clear.
Selected Bibliography on Rembrandt's etchings: Adam Bartsch, Le Peintre-Graveur (many volumes, many editions; an illustrated version of Bartsch is in progress, and when it is complete will become the new standard reference work for old master prints); Gary Schwartz, Rembrandt: All the etchings reproduced in true size (London: Oresko Books, 1977 (all of the works currently considered to be by Rembrandt illustrated in original size and identified by their Bartsch number); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Rembrandt: Experimental Etcher (Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, 1969: excellent introduction to Rembrandt as an etcher), Holm Bevers and Barbara Welzel, Rembrandt: The Master & His Workshop. Etchings (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991: an excellent introduction ot the art and business of printing etchings in Rembrandt's studio published apart from the remainder of the 2-volume set on Rembrandt's paintings, drawings, and etchings published by Yale and the National Gallery of London). See also Hans-Martin Rotermund, Rembrandts's Drawings and Etchings for the Bible, trans. Shierry M. Weber (Philadelphia: Pilgrim Press, 1969); Seymour Slive, Drawings of Rembrandt, 2 vols. (NY: Dover. 1965); Jeroen Giltaij, The Drawings by Rembrandt and his school in the Museum Boymans-van Beuningen (Rotterdam: Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, 1988); Walter Sumowski, Drawings of the Rembrandt School, 10 vols. (NY: Abaris Books, 1979-1992).
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Young Haaringh (Bartsch 275, Hollstein 288 v/v; Usticke iv/v). Original etching with dry point & burin on laid paper with small to thread margins, 1655. "Young Haaringh" (sometimes identified as Jacob Thomasz., sometimes Peter) was a lawyer and the son of the Amsterdam official who supervised Rembrandt's bankruptcy sale in 1657 and 1658. He stares directly at the viewer, his face illuminated by light in a darkened room. A very good dark impression from one of the Basan editions (late 18th-early 19th century) after the plate was cut down. Provenance: P.A.F.A. (Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts), Philadelphia Museum of Art duplicate. Image size: 122x107mm. Price: SOLD.
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Three Oriental Figures / Jacob and Laban (Bartsch 118). Original etching on laid paper with small, 1641. A very good impression with plate tone printed on laid paper with small margins outside the platemark. The plate shows no signs of reworking. It has been suggested that the subject deals with the parting of Jacob and Laban in Genesis 30: 25-34. According to Nowell-Usticke, this etching is in the group that is "strong" throughout its printing history. Signed and dated in the plate upper right. Image size: 143x111mm. Price: $8750.
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Genesis 30: 25-34: "And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee. And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake. And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it. And he [Jacob] said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me. For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also? And he [Laban] said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock. I will pass through all thy flock today, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire. So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me. And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word." Antonio refers to this story in his debate about "hazard[ing]" (i.e., adventuring, risking) about the morality of taking interest on loans in The Merchant of Venice.
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Rest on the Flight into Egypt: A Night Piece (Bartsch 57, Hollstein 208 iii/iii; Bjorkland iv/iv, Usticke vi/viii). Original etching on laid paper with small margins, c. 1644. Fleeing from Herod's "bloody-hunting slaughtermen" (as Shakespeare put it in Henry V), the Holy Family pauses under a tree; the scene is lit only by a little light from a lantern hung from the tree. Joseph tenderly comforts Mary, who is busy tending her child. A good impression. Provenance: collector's stamp of Charles M. Lea verso. From the Philadelphia Museum of Art: "The Print Center's close association with the Philadelphia Museum of Art began in 1929 with the endowment of the Charles M. Lea purchase prize for prints to be donated to the Museum. In 1928 the Museum had already received as a memorial gift 4800 prints collected by Charles M. Lea and his father Henry C. Lea, an acquisition that formed the foundation of the Museum's print holdings." Our impression is part of that bequest and was deaccessioned several years ago, no doubt to enable new acquisitions. Image size: 93x60mm. Price: $7500.
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The star of the Kings: A Night Piece (Bartsch 113, Hollstein 113, Bjorkland ii/ii, Usticke vi/vii). Original etching and drypoint on wove paper with large margins, c. 1651. The Magi, following their star to find the king whose birth they have read about in the stars, pause in a forest for a rest and a brief meal. A good dark impression. Image size: 93x142mm. Price: $5700.
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The Tribute Money (Bartsch 113, Hollstein 113, Bjorkland ii/ii, Usticke vi/vii). Original etching and drypoint on thin paper with thread margins, c. 1635. Jesus confronts the Pharisees in the Temple who are trying to incite him into refusing to pay taxes so they can turn him over to the Romans as a rebel against Rome. Jesus asks the priest to show him a coin, asks him whose face is stamped on the coin (Caesar's, of course), then bids them render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's, implying that they are rebels against God who have not been giving Him what he wants from them. A very good dark impression of the scene seemingly illuminated by the light emanating from Jesus. Image size: 73x103mm. Price: $7200.
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Spaightwood Galleries, Inc.
To purchase, call us at 1-800-809-3343 (508-529-2511 in Upton MA & vicinity) or send an email to sptwd@verizon.net. We accept AmericanExpress, DiscoverCard, MasterCard, and Visa.
For directions and visiting information, please call. We are, of course, always available over the web and by telephone (see above for contact information). Click the following for links to past shows and artists. For a visual tour of the gallery, please click here. For information about Andy Weiner and Sonja Hansard-Weiner, please click here. For a list of special offers currently available, see Specials.
Visiting hours: Saturday and Sunday noon to 6 pm and other times by arrangement. Please call to confirm your visit. Browsers and guests are welcome.
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