Rembrandt: Complete Etchings
Biblical Themes
The Bible was Rembrandt's most important source
of inspiration. Here he was following in the footsteps of illustrious predecessors like Albrecht Durer and Lucas van Leyden, print artists far
whom Rembrandt had boundless admiration. He owned a great many prints by both these artists. Rembrandt's biblical print,
particularly those with a New Testament subject, represent the pinnacle of his achievement. One of his best-known biblical
prints is undoubtedly the Hundred-Guilder Print, a monumental etching on which he worked at intervals between 1643 and 1649.
The subject is taken from Chapter 19 of the Gospel According to St Matthew. From the point of view of technique, the
print is unusual in the immense variation in the use of line, the subtle hatching and the combination of the etching technique
with drypoint and burin, resulting in an unparalleled chiaroscuro. No other print by Rembrandt has such a tremendous painterly
quality as this one. As for as portraying human emotions is concerned, The Hundred-Guilder Print can be regarded as a showcase of Rembrandt's mastery. The expressions on the faces of the people run the gamut of feelings from disbelief, horror and
apathy to faith, astonishment and sheer rapture. The
sixteen-fifties are sometimes referred to as Rembrandt's experimental phase.
During this crucial stage in his graphic development he explored the technical possibilities of the etching process and
experimented with printing techniques, using surface tone and exotic papers. The primary purpose of all these experiments was to increase
the tonality of his work. In this period he produced The Three Crosses and
Christ Presented to the People. They are the high points of
Rembrandt's graphic oeuvre. Both prints have been drawn entirely in drypoint, exploiting to the full the expressive
possibilities of the technique. The plates were subjected to rigorous reworking in later states.
| self portraits and family members |   |
| genre scenes |  |
| landscapes |  |
| single figures and portraits |   |
| biblical themes |    |
