The Schoolmaster (B., Holl. 128; H. 192)

Details

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
The Schoolmaster (B., Holl. 128; H. 192)
etching, 1641, a very good but later impression showing little wear, with thread margins, a small, unobtrusive paper flaw at the centre of the subject, with the number 31 in pen and ink at the lower left corner verso, in very good condition
P. 93 x 61 mm., S. 98 x 65 mm.

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Lot Essay

This is another example of the slightly misleading titles that Rembrandt's prints have acquired over the centuries. The scene actually depicts a blind hurdy-gurdy player, which explains why the woman and children are listening with such rapt attention, and why his eyes have a sightless look about them. It is one of a number of prints in which he experimented with nocturnal scenery and the effects of light. Particularly evocative is the passage where the light, coming from a hidden source inside the house falls on the head and shoulders of the woman and catches the tip of the old man's face.

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