REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN (1606-1669)

Cottage and Farm Buildings with a Man sketching

Details

REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN (1606-1669)
Cottage and Farm Buildings with a Man sketching
etching
circa 1645
on laid paper, countermark LB (Hinterding A.a)
a fine impression of this uncommon landscape
printing sharply, clearly and with good contrasts
with fine, vertical wiping marks in the sky
the subtle plate tone more prominent toward the edges
with thread to narrow margins
generally in very condition
Plate 130 x 209 mm.
Sheet 132 x 212 mm.

Provenance

Probably Johan Fredrik Martin (1755-1816) and Elias Martin (1739-1818), Stockholm (without oval, see Lugt 3846).
Indistinct Letters, possibly initials DD in pencil verso (Daniel Daulby, see Lugt 738; not in his sales).
Nathaniel Smith (1740⁄41- circa 1809), London (see Lugt 2296; variously inscribed in pen and brown ink verso, including with the code DIXXF).
Sotheby's, London, 2 May 1927, lot 3 ('The Property of a Nobleman'; to Colnaghi).
With P. & D. Colnaghi & Co., London (with their stocknumber C 16015 in pencil verso).
Probably Lady Ethel Edith Bilsland (1892-1982), London (not in Lugt; according to Stogdon); presumably acquired from the above.
With P. & D. Colnaghi & Co., London (with their stocknumber C 38107 in pencil verso); acquired from the above in 1971.
Sam Josefowitz (Lugt 6094); acquired from the above in 1972; then by descent to the present owners.

Literature

Bartsch, Hollstein 219; Hind 213; New Hollstein 201 (this impression cited)
Stogdon 96

Brought to you by

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Lot Essay

A humble, rather dilapidated farmhouse is a subject that recurs in many of Rembrandt's landscape etchings. The level of detail implies that he, like the artist shown drawing in the foreground at right, had oftentimes sketched such places en plein air. Whilst the little figure of the draughtsman is a reflection figure rather than a self-portrait- the artist depicted here has a beard - Rembrandt has adopted a very similar low viewpoint as him. Whether or not Rembrandt actually drew this plate from life and in situ - the result is full of charming, incidental detail and the print is one the most cheerful and light-hearted of all his landscapes.

In New Hollstein (2013) Hinterding and Rutgers date this print to circa 1641, but this appears to be a mistake and is not in keeping with the paper evidence as presented by Hinterding himself in the catalogue of Rembrandt's watermarks (2006), which suggest a first printing date of circa 1645.

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