Description
An introspective etching on Ingres d’Arches off-white laid paper paper titled “Self Portrait Drawing at Window” by Rembrandt Van Rijn. Created in 1648. A 20th/21st Century impression printed by Marjorie Van Dyke. From the “Millenium” edition limited to 2500 examples. In 1629, Rembrandt began to paint and etch his first self-portraits. Throughout his career, he would produce many subsequent self-portraits in both mediums. However, scholars differ as to Rembrandt’s motivation for creating self-portraits. While some have posited that he simply could not afford to pay for models, the more likely reason relates to his pursuit of “psychological portraiture.” Rembrandt used his own face in an effort to reveal the human and spiritual nature of the etching’s subject—which was a revolutionary approach for the time. In this extraordinary image, Rembrandt depicts himself drawing at a window, as the light from the window seeps into the space and creates a symbolic dramatic contrast. Rembrandt’s face is illuminated, but the interior of the room is cast in darkness. He created this work in 1648 at the age of forty-two, after a troubled six-year period during which he etched no self-portraits. During that time, Rembrandt’s wife Saskia died, his financial situation worsened, and his relationship with Geertge Dircx, the nursemaid of his young son, Titus, became troubled and later culminated in a court battle. The work clearly depicts a man at maturity, contemplating his life, and suggests a wise, if not beleaguered man who has tasted life’s joys and sorrows. This was the last self-portrait ever etched by Rembrandt. From a private collection, originally purchased from Park West Gallery in 2005. Gallery tag on verso. Dimensions: 24.5”h x 23.25”w x 1.5”d (framed). In very good condition.
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in the history of art. Rembrandt’s reputation as the greatest etcher in the history of the medium was established in his lifetime.
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