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Lot Essay
This devotional subject might have been created to attract the interest of Catholic collectors in a predominantly Protestant Holland. Of the various inspirations, the most evident source is Federico Barocci’s Virgin and Child in the Clouds of circa 1580-1584 (see p. 5). Rembrandt, avid collector of prints, admired the mannerist artist from Urbino who, despite his small printed oeuvre of only four prints, was a ground-breaking experimenter in the art of etching and very influential for subsequent generations of printmakers.
Rembrandt's version of the subject is a free adaptation rather than a banal copy. It is similar to Barocci's print in size, in the balance of light and dark and the use of simple cross-hatching in the shaded areas, yet feels even more diaphanous: a fleeting vision rather than a manifestation of the Mother of God. Barocci’s more solid version is idealized in pure counter-reformation spirit, with the young, gracious Madonna smiling and the infant Christ in a gesture of blessing. Rembrandt's Virgin in contrast '... seems laden with unfathomable emotional ambiguity... scarcely aware of the child's presence. She stares past the viewer into the distance; whether or not intentionally, her expression recalls numerous images of the Mater Dolorosa from the Italian Baroque. His Christ is also less robust, a sickly baby that turns away from the viewer, wholly unconscious of his divinity.’ (Hinterding, 2000, p. 193).
Curiously, on the Madonna’s left knee we can see a face turned upside down. Rembrandt probably began drawing on the plate, then abandoned his initial composition and made a fresh start by simply turning the plate around rather than burnishing his previous marks off. The face is reminiscent of Barocci's putti, but also contributes to the sense of uncertainty that emanates from this print.
Rembrandt's version of the subject is a free adaptation rather than a banal copy. It is similar to Barocci's print in size, in the balance of light and dark and the use of simple cross-hatching in the shaded areas, yet feels even more diaphanous: a fleeting vision rather than a manifestation of the Mother of God. Barocci’s more solid version is idealized in pure counter-reformation spirit, with the young, gracious Madonna smiling and the infant Christ in a gesture of blessing. Rembrandt's Virgin in contrast '... seems laden with unfathomable emotional ambiguity... scarcely aware of the child's presence. She stares past the viewer into the distance; whether or not intentionally, her expression recalls numerous images of the Mater Dolorosa from the Italian Baroque. His Christ is also less robust, a sickly baby that turns away from the viewer, wholly unconscious of his divinity.’ (Hinterding, 2000, p. 193).
Curiously, on the Madonna’s left knee we can see a face turned upside down. Rembrandt probably began drawing on the plate, then abandoned his initial composition and made a fresh start by simply turning the plate around rather than burnishing his previous marks off. The face is reminiscent of Barocci's putti, but also contributes to the sense of uncertainty that emanates from this print.