[Luke 2: 42-51]
Etching and drypoint: 12,6 x 21,4 cm
Engraved signed and dated at the lower left margin: ‘Rembrandt f. 1652’
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Notes
The theme of Christ and the doctors requires the men visibly to express their astonishment at the unexpected wisdom of a 12-year-old boy. Perhaps this is what attracted Rembrandt to the subject: in any event, he depicted it repeatedly. It is quite conceivable that he wished to work out this hardly completed composition further.
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
Literature
Bartsch 65; White/Boon 65;
The New Hollstein Dutch 267 first state (of II, before the mezzotint revisions);
Nowell-Usticke C 2; plate not in existence.
Condition
Excellent, strong and clear impression with the plate residue typical for the sheet; with thread margins around the platemark.