‘The perfect line’: How Rembrandt made some of his greatest works

‘In etching, you can achieve a quality of line that you can’t in any other medium,’ says artist Alexander Massouras, discussing the creative process behind a remarkable group of 50 etchings by Dutch master Rembrandt Van Rijn that were offered in 2016 at Christie’s in London.

Renowned for his work in the medium, Rembrandt came to be recognised as one of the most accomplished printmakers of all time, producing works in intricate detail. ‘The lines follow the contours of what he depicts,’ comments Massouras, citing the individually-rendered hairs on a work such as Old Bearded Man Looking Down. ‘That detail is facilitated by etching.’

Demonstrating the process, Massouras uses an etching need to scratch an image onto a metal plate, with lines hatched successfully into the plate to achieve a greater depth of tone. He notes how etching allows for variety in mark making due to the fluidity of the line, which is seen frequently in Rembrandt’s work: ‘There is something compelling about that marriage of his ability to draw and the process of etching.’

In our video above, Massouras follows Rembrandt’s process in a modern-day print studio, using a technique that has varied very little since Rembrandt first began to make prints at the beginning of the 1600s. ‘A print like Self-Portrait with Saskia has a lot of variation in tone,’ he observes, explaining how the artist used acid to achieve depth. In etching, after the artist has drawn into the plate, it is submerged in acid, which eats into the metal exposed by the scratched lines. The paler and thinner lines in Self-Portrait with Saskia denote the part of the etching that would've been in the acid for less time, compared to the darker lines which have been bitten further by the acid and so hold the ink much more densely.

Following the submersion of the plate in acid, it is cleaned, inked and cleaned again, leaving only the incised lines filled with ink. Dampened paper and a protective cloth are placed over the plate, which is squeezed through an etching press to create the image. During the creation of his print, Massouras concludes that etching creates the perfect line: ‘Nothing rivals the crisp, sharp, black line of an etching.’

Frequently asked questions

How did Rembrandt create his etchings?

Rembrandt made his etchings by drawing designs onto copper plates which had been covered in a mix of resin and beeswax. Sometimes the artist would do a preparatory drawing and other times he would work directly onto the plate. He combined etching with drypoint and occasionally other techniques to create darker, richer marks, with the artist favouring this printmaking method due to its ability to create detailed lines, shading and texture.

What is etching in printmaking?

Etching is a printmaking technique where an artist creates an image by drawing lines onto a metal plate covered with an acid-resistant coating. The plate is placed in acid, which bites into the exposed areas and forms grooves — to achieve a tonal range, artists can leave the plate longer in the acid to create deeper and darker lines. Ink is then pressed into these grooves and transferred onto paper using a printing press. The resulting image is printed in reverse.

What tools did Rembrandt use to make prints?

Rembrandt used several tools to create his prints, including copper plates, etching needles and drypoint tools. He used etching needles to draw through the ground and drypoint tools to scratch directly into the copper for darker, velvety lines. Other printmaking materials such as ink, a press and damp paper are also essential to the process, allowing Rembrandt to create the expressive prints he is renowned for.