Rembrandt van Rijn
1606-1669 | Dutch
Studies of Head of Saskia and OthersEtching on laid paper
New Hollstein’s first state (of two)
Signed and dated "Rembrandt f. / 1636" (lower left)
A master in three different media, Rembrandt van Rijn was arguably the greatest etcher to have ever lived, creating a body of work that spanned subjects and genres. Both successful and prolific, his oeuvre boasts close to 300 authenticated prints, and his innovative techniques in the medium are without precedent. This etching, entitled
Studies of Head of Saskia and Others, is an outstanding representation of the artist’s skill as an engraver.
The composition is centered by a portrait of Rembrandt’s wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh, and includes other portrait studies of Saskia and several other unknown women. Rembrandt and Saskia had been married for two years when this etching was created in 1636. Although Saskia suffered from poor health for most of her life, Rembrandt portrays her here with a youth and vitality that characterized all of his portraits of her.
Rembrandt’s talent for printmaking came from a lifetime of experience. He began printmaking early in his life, developing the skill parallel to his career as a painter. His earliest prints were self-portraits, reflecting the artist’s experimentation with expression and emotion through an exploration of his own features on plate. As he developed his technique and his skill in the art form grew, he expanded his repertoire to include more formal, commissioned portraits, as well as history, genre and biblical scenes. Today, Rembrandts etchings reside in prestigious museum collections worldwide, and a version of this impression can be found in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Dated 1636
Paper: 5 7/8" high x 4 7/8" wideFrame: 20 1/8" high x 16 1/4" wide
