Rembrandt van Rijn etching for sale ets te koop dessin a vendre - A Brook with a Grotto and a Boat (Het Spelonkje), 1645
Rembrandt van Rijn etching for sale ets te koop dessin a vendre - A Brook with a Grotto and a Boat (Het Spelonkje), 1645 frame
Rembrandt van Rijn etching for sale ets te koop dessin a vendre - A Brook with a Grotto and a Boat (Het Spelonkje), 1645 frame 2
Rembrandt van Rijn etching for sale ets te koop dessin a vendre - A Brook with a Grotto and a Boat (Het Spelonkje), 1645
Rembrandt van Rijn etching for sale ets te koop dessin a vendre - A Brook with a Grotto and a Boat (Het Spelonkje), 1645 frame
Rembrandt van Rijn etching for sale ets te koop dessin a vendre - A Brook with a Grotto and a Boat (Het Spelonkje), 1645 frame 2
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
(Leiden 1606-1669 Amsterdam)

“A Brook with a Grotto and a Boat (“Het Spelonkje”)”, 1645

signed and dated lower right: Rembrandt f. | 1645.

etching and drypoint: 12,9 x 13,4  cm; with fine margins all around.

Notes

The print is very rare, the plate was lost early. Listed by Nowell-Usticke as “RRR”. The boat in this shadowy grotto is hardly visible. The darker passage contrasts with the surroundings, which are laid down on the plate with a few sketchy lines. This etching seems unfinished; however, it is signed and dated and printed. It is noteworthy that Rembrandt chose this landscape to showcase his name so prominently.

As one of the towering figures in the history of art, Rembrandt, a miller’s son from the university town of Leiden, was an artist of unmatched genius. Equally gifted as a painter, printmaker, and draftsman, Rembrandt proved himself to be as skillful at making portraits as he was at creating religious and mythological narratives. His landscapes are just as remarkable as his rare still lifes and subjects detailing everyday life.

Widely recognized as the greatest practitioner of the etching technique in the history of art, Rembrandt created 300 prints that constitute a body of work unparalleled in richness and beauty. During his lifetime, Rembrandt’s extraordinary skills as a printmaker were the main source of his international fame. Unlike his oil paintings, prints travelled light and were relatively cheap. For this reason, they soon became very popular with collectors not only within, but also beyond the borders of the Netherlands.

Provenance

  • Collection John Barnard (1705-1784), London, Lugt 1419, with the monogram on the reverse, his collection auctioned at
  • Auction Thomas Philipe, London, 8 May 1798, lot 273, listed and labelled “very rare”
  • Auction Galerie Kornfeld, Bern, 22 June 2001, lot 234
  • The Eberhard W. Kornfeld Collection, Bern, Lugt 913b
  • Douwes Fine Art, Amsterdam

 

Condition

Excellent impression in very good condition, the platemark visible on all sides. Printed as I. state during Rembrandt’s lifetime

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