Rembrandt Hamensz. Van Rijn
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt: a night piece, c1644
Original Etching
9.3 x 5.8 cm
3 5/8 x 2 1/4 in
3 5/8 x 2 1/4 in
Bartsch 57, New Hollstein 216 iii/ix
£ 10,000.00
In the early decades of the 17th century artists began to exploit the potential chiaroscuro drama of night scenes, lit by the natural light of the moon or the light...
In the early decades of the 17th century artists began to exploit the potential chiaroscuro drama of night scenes, lit by the natural light of the moon or the light from candles or lanterns. These nocturnes called ‘black prints’ were popular with collectors. The German artist Adam Elsheimer painted his Flight into Egypt about 1609. It is considered the first naturalistic rendering of the sky at night. It also included a source of light from a camp fire and was the first depiction of the theme of The Flight as a night scene, true to the Biblical story. Hendrik Goudt acquired the painting and took it back to Utrecht when he left Rome in 1611. Goudt’s engravings of Elsheimer paintings had an enormous impact in the Netherlands. In the early 1630’s Lievens and Rembrandt, both working in Leyden, made the first etched black prints. Rembrandt went on through the 1640’s and into the 1650’s to produce some ten black prints, the majority being religious themes. In this Rest on the Fight into Egypt, the Holy Family, and the foliage of the tree above them, are lit by the lantern which they have hung on the branch of the tree. This impression trimmed to the plate.
A Buyer's Guide to Prints