The Vision of Daniel

This mysterious little print, which calls to mind the works of Goya and Blake, is one of four etchings created by Rembrandt as illustrations of Menasseh Ben Israel’s book Piedra gloriosa o de la estatua de Nebuchadnezzar, published in Amsterdam in 1655. Menasseh was a Sephardic rabbi of Portuguese origin and an acquaintance of Rembrandt’s, who had etched a portrait of him in 1636 (B. 269). The text of the Piedra gloriosa is a mystical speculation the coming of the Messiah, based on the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar as related in the Book of Daniel. Rembrandt etched the four small illustrations onto one plate; the British Museum holds three of the extremely rare impressions of the entire plate, before it was divided into four parts.This plate is the fourth of the set and depicts Daniel’s vision: ‘And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.’ (Daniel 7:3) The present impression is remarkable for the its rich plate tone, which is selectively wiped on the beasts in the foreground and in particular on the radiant, ethereal figure of God.