Rembrandt: Complete Etchings
Landscapes
In the seventeenth century the Dutch landscape was one of the most popular
subjects for prints. Rembrandt took the genre to unrivalled heights. The locations of almost all his landscapes can be
identified in the immediate vicinity of Amsterdam. Rembrandt's landscape etchings were created in the studio on the basis of
drawings that he made on his walks in the countryside around Amsterdam. On occasion he may even have worked directly on to the
copper plate on the spot. Six's Bridge and Clump of Trees with a Vista are examples of
this. The rapid, spontaneous lines give these prints the appearance of
having been
created in the open air. Rembrandt's early landscape prints are entirely
etched. The foreground of these etchings is always carefully worked out and placed against a lightly indicated horizon.
In his later landscapes, Rembrandt combines etching with the lise of the drypoint and the burin. He also adds imaginary elements like mountains and exotic buildings to the typical Dutch landscape. The Three Trees is Rembrandt's best known landscape print. The trees probably stood on the Diemerzeerdijk. The skyline of Amsterdam can be seen in the background. This is the only landscape print in which Rembrandt used strong contrasts between light and shade. The darker areas have been made more intense with drypoint and burin.
| self portraits and family members |   |
| genre scenes |  |
| landscapes |  |
| single figures and portraits |   |
| biblical and religious themes |    |
