REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN

A Woman Bathing Her Feet at a Brook (B., Holl. 200; H. 298; BB. 58-D)

Details

REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN
A Woman Bathing Her Feet at a Brook (B., Holl. 200; H. 298; BB. 58-D)
etching, 1658, on pale golden Japan paper, an excellent impression, with inky plate edges, printed with a velvety tone, carefully wiped to give a burr-like effect to some of the lines such as those to the top of the woman's headdress and elsewhere, with narrow to thread margins, remains of old glue with related minor staining showing only on the reverse, traces of offsetting from another impression (?) also showing on the reverse, otherwise in excellent condition
P. 6 3/8 x 3 1/8in. (160 x 79mm.)

Provenance

J. Grünling (L. 1106)
J. Webster (L. 1554 and 1555, this impression cited)
Dr. Albert W. Blum, his mark verso (not in Lugt)

Lot Essay

In 1658, late in his printmaking career, Rembrandt produced four etchings of female nudes (B. 197, 199, 200 and 205). Unlike other printed depictions of the subject in his oeuvre, these are not disguised as classical subjects but rather, with a sympathetic eye, present the artist's personal and touching observations of the unaffected female form. The best impressions of these subjects are to be found on a warm toned Japanese paper, as here, which is so ideally suited to the artist's medium and intentions.