The Rest on the Flight into Egypt: Lightly etched (B., Holl. 58; H. 216)

Details

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt: Lightly etched (B., Holl. 58; H. 216)
etching, 1645, a very good impression of this rare, lightly bitten print, printed with a thin veil of tone and horizontal wiping scratches, with part of a Foolscap watermark, trimmed on or just outside the platemark, a small, slighlty pale area in the centre of the image (possibly due to the removal of a rust-spot), a paper flaw at the lower right, otherwise in good condition
P., S. 131 x 116 mm.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis. On occasion, Christie's has a direct financial interest in lots consigned for sale which may include guaranteeing a minimum price or making an advance to the consignor that is secured solely by consigned property. This is such a lot. This indicates both in cases where Christie's holds the financial interest on its own, and in cases where Christie's has financed all or a part of such interest through a third party. Such third parties generally benefit financially if a guaranteed lot is sold successfully and may incur a loss if the sale is not successful.

Lot Essay

In 1645 Rembrandt etched three plates in a rather unusual fashion, very light and in the manner of a silverpoint drawing rather than an etching. Early cataloguers of his etchings ascribed this very pale appearance to a technical error, believing that he had been too quick to remove the plate from the acid bath. However, as he had produced over two hundred prints by this time, it is highly unlikely that he would have committed such a basic error. In these years he was preoccupied with this particular scene in painting, drawing as well as etching. Unlike his etching of the same subject set at night (lot 178) the scene here is far more relaxed. The figures look for all the world like a family enjoying a picnic rather than one fleeing from persecution.

More from Rembrandt 400

View All