Christ preaching: "La Petite Tombe" (B., Holl. 67; H. 256)

Details

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
Christ preaching: "La Petite Tombe" (B., Holl. 67; H. 256)
etching with drypoint and engraving, circa 1652, a good 'white sleeve' impression, the cloak of the man standing at left still printing with burr, with a narrow margin below, thread margins elsewhere, in very good condition
P. 155 x 207 mm., S. 162 x 212 mm.

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Lot Essay

The subject is similar to The Hundred Guilder Print (see lots 190 and 192) which Rembrandt completed only a few years previously. Here the scene is much more intimate - the gathering smaller and in a much more confined space, and Christ is only slightly taller than those around him - a contrast with the earlier print where he is a monumental figure. Instead of the highly accomplished preacher dealing simultaneously with several groups of people, he is now speaking directly and with humility to a much smaller group, each of whom (save the child in the foreground) is giving him their full attention. Print collectors have traditionally divided impressions into 'black sleeve' and 'white sleeve', referring to the amount of burr on the gown worn by the man in the lower left corner.

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