The Flight into Egypt: altered from Seghers

This remarkable print is the only incident in his printed oeuvre of Rembrandt re-using or altering a printing plate by another artist. Whether intended as a homage to the older artist or out of sheer artistic curiosity, Rembrandt here used the copperplate of a print depicting Tobias and the Angel by Hercules Seghers (circa 1589- circa 1638) to create what is without a doubt his most unusual print. By burnishing out the original figures and replacing them with the Holy Family on the flight into Egypt, yet leaving the intricately worked landscape by Seghers relatively untouched, Rembrandt created a fascinating dialogue of two generations and very different artistic sensibilities within a single cohesive work. The Flight into Egypt: altered from Seghers not only highlights Rembrandts skill and vision as a printmaker, but also his interest in the works of other artists and his playful urge to experiment.