Rembrandt Harmensz. Van Rijn Leiden 1606 Amsterdam 1669

Transcription

1 1 Rembrandt Harmensz. Van Rijn Leiden 1606 Amsterdam 1669 Almost all the Rembrandt drawings catalogued here were acquired by Carl Gustaf Tessin at the Crozat sale in Paris in Of the twelve lots in Mariette s catalogue he bought four, i.e. 106 out of 351 drawings.. Most of these drawings according to Mariette had belonged to Roger de Piles (d. 1709), who had come by them in Holland, only a generation or two after the death of the master. Mariette considered Rembrandt s landscape drawings to be the best (les plus vraies), and Tessin kept many of them when he was forced so sell the bulk of his collection. Several of them were later reunited with the main collection, e.g. through the acquisition of the Anckarsvärd collction in Although the drawings have a provenance going back almost to Rembrandt himself, it soon became clear that not all of them were authograph. C. Hoofstede de Groot accepted 75 of them, John Kruse, a few decades later, about 40, and Otto Benesch excluded a few more. In the present catalogue 30 are accepted. The number of drawings attributed to other artist of Rembrandt s entourage or influenced by him have increased, thankts to the efforts of Werner Sumowski and others. The Rembrandt Research Project s attribution of The Sacrifice of Manoa to Willem Drost is no doubt the most spectacular, and it is accepted here. 1 A fairly large group of anonymous school drawings remain, and are catalogued as such, attributed drawings are found under the respective artist. 1 Cf. B. Magnusson, Rembrandt s drawings, in Rembrandt and his Age, Stockholm 1992, pp

2 2 [Rembrandt] #1 Seated Old Man Red chalk, a few strokes in black chalk or pencil in the hair, 145 x 143 mm. NM 2651/1863 Some faint green stains on the left hand side, at the top and in the man's hair. No watermark. Numbered in the upper right corner 2546 (Sparre), and in the bottom right corner 69, both in pen and brown ink, and 2651, in pencil. Mark of the Royal Collection (Lugt 1638). Provenance: Crozat (Mariette, p. 101) *C. G. Tessin (List , p. 38, as Mellan; Cat. 1749, livre 17, no. 238, as Mellan) *Kongl. Biblioteket (Cat. 1790, no. 2546, as Mellan) *Kongl. Museum (Lugt 1638). Bibliography: O. Benesch, "Rembrandt - Relicta aus der Münchner Graphischen Rembrandt", Mitteilungen d. Ges. f. verv. Kunst. Beilage der Graph. Künste, XLVIII, Wien 1925, pp. 26 and 29, nos. 2-3 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Werk und Forschung, Wien 1935, p. 10 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Selected Drawings, London & New York 1947, no. 16 *L. Münz,

3 Rembrandt's Etchings, London 1952, sub no. 40 *Benesch, , I, no. 38, fig.42 *K. Bauch, Der frühe Rembrandt und seine Zeit, Berlin 1960, p. 202, fig. 137 *Chr. White & K. G. Boon, Hollstein's Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts, XVIII: Rembrandt van Rijn, Amsterdan 1969, sub no. 325 *O. Benesch, "Rembrandt's Drawings in the Graphische Sammlung München" (1925), Collected Writings, I: Rembrandt, London 1970, p. 87, fig. 46 *Benesch 1973, I, no. 38, fig. 57 *P. Schatborn, Dutch Figure Drawings from the Seventeenth Century, The Hague 1981, p. 50, and p. 139, under no. 64 *M. Royalton-Kisch, An early drawing by Jan Lievens, Master Drawings, 29 (1991), p. 413, fig. 6 *Rembrandt en Lievens en Leiden, Leiden, Stedelijk Museum de Laakenhal, , s. 66, fig. 19. Exhibitions: Stockholm, 1956, no. 64 *Rotterdam, Museum Boymans - Amsterdam, Rijksmuseun, Rembrandt tekeningen, 1956, no. 15 *Wien, Albertina, Rembrandt, 1956, no. 5 *Leningrad 1963 *Stockholm 1967, no. 266 *Washington-Fort Worth-San Francisco, Dürer to Delacroix, 1986, no. 86 *Amsterdam, Rembrandthuis, Jan Lievens Prenten & Tekeningen / Prints & Drawings, 1989, no. 13 *Stockholm, 1992, no. 131*Kassel, Staatliche Museen & Amsterdam, Rembrandthuis, The Mystery of the Young Rembrandt, 2001, no. 17 *Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum, Drawings by Rembrandt and his Pupils, 2010, no. 2.2, pp. 55f, repr. p The drawing of the old man with a large beard was acquired by Tessin in 1741 as a work by the French artist Claude Mellan. It was restored to Rembrandt by Benesch, and dated in his early years in Leiden. The drawings is closely related to an etching of an old man bent forward, dated 1630 (Bartsch 325). Three etchings of similar figures date from the years (Bartsch 309, 325, 260). There are several chalk studies of a seated old men in different poses, some probably of the same model. 2 These studies may also be connected with the series of paintings of saints and prophets executed around The same model seems to have been used for the painting of St. Paul in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg, and the prophet Jeremiah in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam 3. Heads and quarter length representations of this kind, tronies, was an established genre, studies of character rather than portraits. Thereby they achieved a moral quality above the simple model studies. They were much esteemed and offered no doubt a possibility for a young artist to find buyers, who would have turned to more established artist for larger works. 2 Benesch 1973, I, nos Rembrandt Research Project, A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings, I, A 26 and A 28.

4 The drawing stems from a period when Rembrandt probably shared a studio with Jan Lievens. Their style at that time was very close and there has been some difficulty in distinguishing between them. The subtle interaction between the two young artists has been analysed by Pieter Schatborn and Werner Sumowski 4. It has been argued that Rembrandt's chalk studies came to rely more on painterly effects and less on line than those by Lievens. The argument is basically circular, and it is equally possible to argue that both of them tried both modes. 4 P. Schatborn, Dutch Figure Studies from the Seventeenth Century, The Hague Amsterdam, Rembrandthuis, op.cit., Most recently L. Hendrix in Los Angeles, Getty Museum, op.cit., 2010, pp

5 5 [Rembrandt] #2 Reclining Female Nude, Seen from Behind Black and white chalk on light brown, prepared paper, 195x234 mm. NM 33/1956 Strokes of brown chalk on the arm added later. Some light brown stains in the centre, and a larger oil stain at the bottom centre. Watermark: Horn in a coat of arms, and letters ABL (monogrammed). Chain lines: 22 mm. Inscribed on the verso Rhimbrandt (Tessin) and difficilement (later hand), and numbered 3.f., pen and brown ink. Provenance: Roger de Piles? *Crozat (Mariette, p. 101) *C. G. Tessin (Liste , p. 68c; Cat. 1789, no. 236) *Otto Wrede *Martin Carlsson Bibliography: C. Müller-Hofstede, Kunstchronik, 1956, p. 94 *Benesch, , IV, Add. 6, fig *W. Sumowski, "Nachträge zum Rembrandtjahr 1956", Wissenschaftl. Zeitschr. der Humbolt- Universität zu Berlin, VII (1957/58), p. 234 *J. W. von Moltke, Govaert Flinck, 1965, p. 46, no. D.215 (Flinck) *Benesch 1973, I, no. 193A, fig. 222 *Rembrandt Research Project, A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings, II, 1986, p. 491 *Los

6 6 Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum, Drawings by Rembrandt and his Pupils, 2010, p. 63, fig. 3b. Exhibitions: Stockholm 1953, no. 166 *Stockholm 1956, no. 68 *Rotterdam, Museum Buymams - Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt tekeningen, 1956, no. 69a *Wien, Albertina, Rembrandt, 1956, no. 16 *Stockholm 1967, no. 268 *New York, Boston, Chicago, 1969, no. 63 *Stockholm, 1992, no. 132 *Stockholm, 2005, no The drawing was first published by Nils Lindhagen in 1953, and three years later it was acquired by the museum and reunited with the Tessin collection. The rendering of the naked body with a careful outline and modelling with fine hatching is similar to the chalk drawing of Diana in the British Museum, 5 as was noted by Sumowski; it is the model of an etching of c (Bartsch 201). Sumowski dates our drawing at the beginning of the 1630s. For Benesch the similarities with two drawings in Rotterdam and one in the count Seilern Collection in London confirmed the attribution 6. But he dated the drawing about 1635, as he considered it more mature than several other nude studies, which he dated around 1632, However, two of these drawings have recently been reattributed, the one to Jacob Backer, and the other, a much weaker drawing, relegated to the category of anonymous school drawing 7. The attribution of the present drawing was contested by Lugt and von Moltke, who opted for Govaert Flinck. Recently an attribution to Flinck has been reproposed by Schatborn, noting several important similarities with with the signed drawing in the École de Beaux-Arts in Paris 8 and a drawing in the Abrams album in the Fogg Museum, Cambridge, Mass. 9 In his opinion it forms a link between his early dependence on Rembrandt and his later, independent style. However, Schatborn s observations that the shapeless drapery under the figure seems to exclude Rembrandt is exaggerated. It compares well with drapery Diana sits on in the drawing at the British Museum, as does the summary hatching, around the body and the thin lines modelling it. The similarities with the London drawing induced Sumowski to reject the attribution to Flinck. Important is Lindhagen s suggestion that the drawing might be a study for the painting "Diana, Acteon and Callisto" in the Museum Wasserburg in Anholt, dated no later than None of the naked nymphs in the painting corresponds to that of the drawings, but the type is the same. The drawing is briefly touched upon by the authors of the Rembrandt Research Corpus, who also point out that Rembrandt had brought together an album of drawings of nude men and women. The drawing differs in many respects from Rembrandts later chalk studies of nude models, most of them in red chalk, but this could be a drawing from the early 1630s. 5 Benesch 1973, I, no. 21; Royalton-Kisch 1992, no Benesch 1973, II, nos. 191, 192, and Giltaij 1988, nos. 37 and Cf. Sumowki xx, 4, no Schatborn, in Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum, Drawings by Rembrandt and his Pupils, 2010, p. p Rembrandt Research Project, A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings, II, 1986, no. a 92.

7 There is a slight sketch of a head just above the woman, crossed out. The thick tufts of hair indicated with e few strokes are similar to those of Actaeon in the painting mentioned above. 7

8 8 [Rembrandt] #3 The Calling of Matthew Pen and brown ink, 129 x 176 mm NM 2011/1863 Two large brown stains in the centre, greyish spots in the upper part, and clusters of small dots at the lower left. Watermark: Crozier (Close to Heawood 1204: 1640). Chain lines: 23 mm. Numbered in the lower right corner 66 (struck out) and 1815 (Sparre), pen and brown ink. Mark of the Royal Collection (Lugt 1638). Provenance: Roger de Piles? *Crozat (Mariette, p. 101) *C. G. Tessin (List , p. 46v; Cat. 1749, livre 15, no. 60) *Kungl. Biblioteket (Cat. 1790, no. 1815) *Kongl. Museum (Lugt 1638) Bibliography: Hofstede de Groot 1906, no *Kruse & Neumann 1920, no II:9 (school) *Kruse & Neumann 1921, no II:9 (school) *O. Benesch, "Unbekanntes und Verkanntes von Rembrandt", Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch, N.F. II/III (1933/34) p. *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Werk und Forschung, Wien 1935, p. 28 *Benesch, , I, no. 144, fig. 163 *W. Sumowski, " Bemerkungen zu Otto Beneschs Corpus der Rembrandt- Zeichnungen I", Wissenschaftl. Zeitschr. der Humbolt- Universität zu Berlin, VI (1856/57), p. 255 *O. Benesch, "Unknown and Wrongly Attributed Drawings by

9 Rembrandt", Collected Writings, I: Rembrandt, London 1970, p. 119 *Benesch 1973, I, no. 144, fig. 174 *E. Starcky, Essai sur le gôut pour les dessins de Rembrandt en France au XVIIIe siècle, Rembrandt and his Pupils (G. Cavalli-Björkman, ed.), Stockholm 1993, p. 202 (school) Exhibitions: Stockholm, 1992, no Christ extends his hand to a seated man behind a desk. There are other persons in the background, and one of the seems to be counting money. It no doubt refers to the scene described by Mathew 9:9, the calling of the apostle. This is a summary sketch, establishing with econony of means the main traits of the composition. The few straight lines, curves and abrupt angles, combine to suggest form as well as movement. The same principles are at work in a drawing of a group of horsemen in Rotterdam 11, and the character of the drawn line is also the same. Benesch compared these drawings with other sketches of a similarly preliminary character, but with more vigorous hatching, dating them generally in the second half of the 1630, the present drawing as late as He found in them a tendency towards dramatic expression. In opposition to Benesch's proposed date around for the Rotterdam drawing, a date around 1632 was suggested by Haverkamp- Begemann, who connects it with an etching of that year 12. As regards the present drawing, Benesch admitted the connection with drawings of the early 1630s, but considered it one of many cases in which Rembrandt returned to an earlier style after "a rostrum or a decade". This notion was criticized by Sumowski as "over-differentiation", and he proposed in this case to date the drawing at the beginning of the decade. Kruse believed the drawing was a school work, by the same hand as a drawing in Amsterdam, and this opinion has been reproposed by Starcky. The Amsterdam drawing was rejected by Schatborn Benesch 1973, I, no. 151; Giltaij 1988, no Bartsch 139. Review of Benesch, in Kunstchronik 1961, pp. 22f. He is followed by Giltaij and Sumowski. 13 Benesch 1973, II, no. A 1 (questionable). P. Schatborn 1985, no. 84. While Sumowski in 1656/57 (op.cit., p. 261) considers Jan Victors, he held our drawing to be undoubtedly true (zweifellos echte).

10 10 [Rembrandt] #4 Five Figure Studies Pen and brown ink, 150x104 mm NM 2064/1863

11 11 Verso: Sketch for a many-figured composition, probably an Adoration of the Shepherds, pen and brown ink Double framing lines in brown ink. No watermark. Chain lines: 22 mm. Numbered in the lower right corner 1864 (Sparre) and 219 (struck out), pen and brown ink. Mark of the Royal Collection (Lugt 1638). Provenance: Roger de Piles? *Crozat (Mariette, p. 101) *C. G. Tessin (List , p. 46v; Cat. 1749, livre 15, no. 14) *Kongl. Bibliotecet (Cat. 1790, no. 1864) *Kongl. Museun (Lugt 1638) Bibliography: Hofstede de Groot 1906, no *Kruse & Neumann 1920, no. II:7 (verso), no. IV:18 (recto), as Rembrandt s school *Kruse & Neumann 1921, no. II:7 (verso), no. IV:18 (recto), as Rembrandt s school *O. Benesch, "Unbekanntes und Verkanntes von Rembrandt", Wallraf- Richartz-Jahrbuch, N.F. II/III (1933/34), p. *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Werk und Forschung, Wien 1935, p. 28 *Benesch, II, , no. 351, figs *O. Benesch, "Unknown and Wrongly Attributed Drawings by Rembrandt", Collected Writings, I: Rembrandt, London 1970, p. 119 *Benesch 1973, II, no. 351, figs. 424, 425

12 12 Exhibitions: Rotterdam, Museum Boymans - Amsterdam, Rijksmuseun, Rembrandt tekeningen, 1956, no.? *Wien, Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Rembrandt, 1956, no. 35 *Stockholm, 1992, no The sketches on the recto are in part simple suggestions with a few strokes, in part more elaborate studies. Similar sheets with sketches in various states of finish are frequent in Rembrandt s oeuvre. Close in style and contents is a drawing in the Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin with studies of figures used in the painting St. John preaching of around in the Gemäldegallerie, Berlin. 14 The head on the right is very like a head in a silver point drawing in Rotterdam, perhapd done The very preliminary sketch for a composition on the verso was interpreted by Kruse as a "Massacre of the Innocents". Benesch saw an agitated crowd before a winding staircase. The figures kneeling in front of some some small object in a cave or possibly a stable might represent the Adoration of the shepherds, and the pen strokes above suggest a celestial phenomenon, like what is seen in the etching The Annunciation to the Shepherds dated 1634 (Bartsch 44). 14 Benesch 1973, I, no. 141; Bevers 2006, no Benesch 1973, II, no. 341; Giltaij 1988, no. 11.

13 13 [Rembrandt] #5 Three Studies of an Archer Pen and brown ink, 170x124 mm NM A2/2004

14 14 Verso: Bust of a man in profile, pen and brown ink Strip of paper, c. 7 mm wide, added on the right (The inscription at the bottom is partly on this paper). Lower left corner cut. No watermark. Chain lines: 29 mm. Inscribed in the lower right corner Rembrant, pen and brown ink. Numbered in the upper right corner with a triangle in red ink and the figure 60 in pen and brown ink (Karlberg Collection). On the verso iscribed rderij / (...), the last line altered to 5-0 0, black chalk. Provenance: King Karl XV (Karlberg collection); Kungl. Biblioteket; To the museum in Bibliography: Valentiner, II, 1934, no. 794 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Werk und Forschung, Wien 1935, p. 16 *Benesch , II, no.a 20, fig. 586 *W. Sumowski, " Bemerkungen zu Otto Beneschs Corpus der Rembrandt- Zeichnungen I", Wissenschaftl. Zeitschr. der Humbolt- Universität zu Berlin, VI (1856/57), p. 258 *Benesch 1973, II, no. A 20, fig. 628 *Rembrandt Research Project, A Corpus of Rembrandt's Paintings, III, 1989, p. 84, fig. 19

15 15 Exhibitions: Stockholm , no. 135 *Stockholm, 2005, no.195. First published by Valentiner, who identified the notes on the verso as by Rembrandt, regarding the sale of works by his pupils. Benesch is largely in agreement, but has some doubts regarding the authorship of the drawing. He connected the study with similar figures in the painting of "John the Baptist Preaching" in Berlin, most recently dated c There the figure is lying on the ground on the left, but the head in profile is seen at the same angle as in the drawing. Benesch rightly compared it with a drawing of a rider in an exotic dress seen from behind in Amsterdam, which he regards as a study connected with the painting. Schatborn considers that drawing a copy. 17 Our drawing displays similar weaknesses. Sumowski regarded the drawing as authentic, comparing it also to a drawing in Berlin for an "Adorations of the Kings", in which there are similar exotic figures, but this drawing has recently been attributed to Gerbrand van den Eeckhout 18. Benesch dated the drawing around 1638, returning to the style of The Rembrandt comission does not take a firm stand as to the authenticity of the Stockholm drawing, although leaning towards it being a workshop copy. The same model is found in a drawing in Munich, showing the archer from behind in the same position as our drawing, but he does not wear the head-gear. 19 This is a less accomplished drawing, and most likely a copy. Sumowski calles it a Maes-like copy. 16 Rembrandt Research Project, A Corpus of Rembrandt's Paintings, III, 1989, no. A Benesch 1973, II, no. 363v. P. Schatborn 1985, no. 20v, considers this a copy after a Rembrandt drawing. 18 Benesch 1973, I, no Bevers 2006, p Benesch 1973, II, no. A 15.

16 16 [Rembrandt] #6 Woman with a Child on her Arm, seen from Behind Black chalk, 53 x 60 mm NM 2018/1863

17 17 Verso: Head of a man, in profile. Black chalk, point of brush in grey and grey wash. The chalk seems to have been so hard that it has left parallel marks and in some places indented the paper. No watermark. Chain lines: 26 mm. Inscribed at the upper left No 8, red chalk. Numbered at the verso 1820 (Sparre) and 206 (struck out), pen and brown ink. Provenance: Roger de Piles? *Crozat (Mariette, p. 101) *C. G. Tessin (List , p. 46v: verso; Cat. 1749, livre 15, no. 55: verso) *Kongl. Biblioteket (Cat. 1790, no. 1820: verso) *Kongl. Museun (Lugt 1638) Bibliography: Hofstede de Groot 1906, no (present verso, as Rembrandt) *Kruse & Neumann 1920, no. IV:44 (present verso: school) *Kruse & Neumann 1921, no. IV:44 (present verso: school) *W. Sumowski,"Eine übersehene Rembrandtzeichnung", Oud-Holland, (1956), pp. 233f *Benesch , VI, Add. 5, fig *Benesch 1973, II, no. 403A, fig. 484 *D. Vogel-Köhn, Rembrandts Kinderzeichnungen, Köln 1981 (Diss. 1974), no. 25 *M. van Berge-Gerbaud, Rembrandt et son école. Dessins de la collection Fritz Lugt, Paris 1997, p. 9.

18 18 Exhibitions: Stockholm , no The sketch is cut both at top and bottom, since the man s head on the verso was traditionally considered the most important motif, and the numbers and collectors marks placed there. Hofstede de Groot and Kruse ignored the existance of the present recto and Kruse did not believe that the head of a man was by Rembrandt. However, it seems that the original chalk sketch has been reworked with the brush by a different hand, changing its character. Except for the wash, the underlying chalk study could perhaps be compared to a sheet with studies of heads in Rotterdam. 20 The sketch of a woman holding a child was discovered by Sumowski, who dated it around on the basis of the occurence of a similar figure on the extreme right of the etching "Mardochai's Triumph" (Bartsch 44). A comparable chalk study of a woman holding a child is on a drawing in the Lugt collection 21. The kind of hard chalk seems to be the same, and in both cases the drawings have been sacrificed for the drawing on the obverse 22. The same kind of chalk seems also to have been used in the study of heads in Rotterdam, mentioned above. Benesch dates our drawing and the one in the Lugt collection c. 1635, the one in Rotterdam c There are also numerous pen studies of women and children from that period, and a similar pose is found in a drawing in Rotterdam Benesch 1973, II, no. 370; J. Giltaij 1988, no Benesch 1973, II, no. 403v. Van Berge-Gerbaud, op.cit., no.3 22 Van Berge-Gerbaud describes the technique as pierre noire (partiellement retracée à la pointe), but it seems more likely that those traces are made by the chalk. It is well known that the quality of natural chalk was uneven. It seems that Rembrandt consciously used the characteristics of the chalk, just as he scratches the paint in the early grisailles. 23 Benesch 1973, II, no. 228; Giltaij 1988, no. 9.

19 19 [Rembrandt] #7 Three Studies of a Man Seen in Profile Pen and brown ink, 133x114 mm NM 2072/1863 Ruled framing lines in brown ink. Watermark: Letters WR (monogrammed). Chain lines: 27 mm. Numbered in the lower right corner 1871 (Sparre) and 217 (struck out), pen and brown ink. Mark of the Royal Collection (Lugt 1638). Provenance: Roger de Piles? *Crozat (Mariette, p. 101) *C. G. Tessin (List , p. 46v; Cat. 1749, livre 15, no. 12) *Kongl. Biblioteket (Cat. 1790, no. 1871) *Kongl. Museum (Lugt 1638). Bibliography: Hofstede de Groot 1906, no *Kruse & Neumann 1920, no. IV:27 *Kruse & Neumann 1921, no. IV:27 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt,

20 Werk und Forschung, Wien 1935, p. 28 *Benesch , II, no. 383, fig. 429 *Benesch 1973, II. no. 383, fig Exhibitions: Stockholm, 1956, no. 71 *Rotterdam, Museum Boymans - Amsterdam, Rijksnuseum, Rembrandt tekeningen, 1956, no. 73 *Wien, Albertina, Rembrandt, 1956, no. 41 Stockholm , no.136 Stockholm , no. 136 *Stockholm, 2005, no The three studies demonstrate three modes of drawing a figure. On the left is a sketch with summary indications of the main outlines, particulars are sometimes indicated as a scribble without the pen beeing lifted from the paper. At the bottom right the forms are more geometric with short strokes. At the top, the the artist uses a finer pen and a more detailed hatching, while accents are added with broader strokes. This would seem to be the final stage, but one could perhaps also argue that the rather portrait-like drawing at the top was the point of departure in search of a more expressive solution. The drawing is a good argument agains the different manners of drawing being a stylistic development. Benesch dates this drawing around , but it could also be compared to a study for Jacob lamenting in Berlin dated by him c In particular the head drawn with a partly continuous outline in that drawing has a counterpart in the figure on the left in the present drawing. There may also be a connection with the painting St. John preaching in Berlin, where similar male heads are found in the group below the Baptist s feet Benesch 1973, I, no. 95; Bevers 2006, no Rembrandt Research Project, A Corpus of Rembrandt's Paintings, III, no. A106, dated around

21 21 [Rembrandt] #8 Esther Pen and brown ink, brown wash, 240x190 mm. NM 1992/1863 Grey particles, most in evidence in the upper part (sot rests from the wash?). Some faint green spots in the lower centre. No watermark. Numbered in the lower right corner 180 (struck out) and 1798 (Sparre), pen and brown ink. Mark of the Royal Collection (Lugt 1638). Provenance: Roger de Piles? *Crozat (Mariette, p. 101) *C. G. Tessin (List , p. 46v; Cat. 1749, livre 15, no. 5) *Kongl. Biblioteket (Cat. 1790, no. 1798) *Kongl. Museum (Lugt 1638) Bibliography: Michel 1893, p. 221 *F. Lippmann, Original Drawings by Rembrandt. Reproduced in the Colours of the Originals, II (Series Continued by C. Hofstede de Groot), The Hague , no. 18 * Hofstede de Groot 1906, no *F. Saxl, "Zu einige Handzeichnungen Rembrandts", Repertoriun für Kunstwissenschaft, 31 (1908), p. 336 *C. Neumann, Aus der Werkstatt Rembrandts, Heiderberg 1919, p. 122, fig 43 *Kruse &

22 Neumann 1920, no. IV:15 *Kruse & Neumann 1921, no. IV:15 *W. von Seidlitz, Die Radierungen Rembrandts, Leipzig 1922, p. 239 *A. M. Hind, A Catalogue of Rembrandt Etchings, London 1923, p. 75 *Valentiner, II, 1934, no. 572 *W. R. Valentiner, "Komödieantendarstellungen Rembrandts", Zeitschrift für bildende Kunst, 1925/26, p. 270 *W. Weisbach, Rembrandt, Berlin 1926, p. 233 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Werk und Forschung, Wien 1935, p. 23 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Selected Drawings, London & New York 1947, fig. 50 *L. Münz, A Criticar Catalogue of Rembrandt's Etchings, London 1952, p. 239 *Benesch , II, no. 292, fig. 322 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt as a Draughtsman, London 1960, no. 16 *E. Haverkamp-Begemann, Otto Benesch, The Drawings of Rembrandt, Kunstchronik, 14 (1961), p. 24 *S. Slive, Drawings of Rembrandt, New York 1965, no. 235 *P. Desargues, Rembrandt et Saskia a Amsterdam, Lausanne 1965, p. 110 *M. Kahr, "Rembrandt's Esther. A Painting and an Etching newly Interpreted and Dated", Oud-Holland, 81 (1966), p. 242 *H.Gerson, Rembrandt Gemälde, Amsterdam 1968, p. 249, fig. 94a *Chr. White, Rembrandt as an Etcher, London 1969, p. 115, fig. 145 *Benesch 1973, II, no. 292, fig. 351 *P. Schatborn, " Tekeningen van Rembrandt in verband met zijn etsen", De Kroniek van het Rembrandthuis, 38:1 (1986), pp. 20f *M. Royalton-Kisch, Rembrandt s drawings for prints: Some observations, Rembrandt and his Pupils (G. Cavalli-Björkman ed.), Stockholm 1993, pp. 186ff *M. Royalton-Kisch, in Rembrandt the Printmaker (exh cat.), Zwolle 2000, pp. 72f, 144. Exhibitions: Amsterdam 1935, no. 35 *Stockholm 1956, no. 74 *Rotterdam, Museun Buymans - Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt tekeningen, 1956, no. 32 München 1956? * Stockholm 1967,? *Washington - Fort Worth - San Francisco, Dürer to Delacroix, 1986, no. 88 *Stockholm , no This is the model for the etching "The Great Jewish Bride" (Bartsch 340). The etching got its title from a collector in the eighteenth century. The seated woman in her sumptious dress and with a scroll in her hand, has been variously interpreted as Minerva or a Sibyl. However it seems more likely, as Kahr has suggested, that it is a representation of the Old Testament heroine Esther, who used her influence over her husband, the Persian ruler Ahasverus, to prevent a pogrom of the Jews during their captivity. Having fasted and prayed for three days, she dons her queenly attire before interceeding on behalf of her people. She is holding her husband's decree which would destroy the Jews. Kahrs interpretation of a painting in the National Gallery, Ottawa, as Esther has been questioned; it depicts a young woman in a magnificent attire, seated in the same position, with a servant combing her hair, but there are no further attributes Renbrandt Research Project, A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings, I, no. A64, dated 1633.

23 23 There is a clear resemblance in style between this drawing and a "Young Woman at her Toilet" in the Albertina, dated The model in both cases is probably Saskia, who served as Rembrandt's model in a variety of contexts. She was also the subject of an etched portrait in 1634 (Bartsch 347). Adapting to the subject matter of Esther, our drawing shows a determined female figure with stern features and an upright position. This attitude even more apparent in the etching, where the portrait likeness to Saskia is also less evident. The print is usually dated 1635 (an alternative dating to 1637 has been proposed by Kahr). The face is precisely drawn and forms are first broadly indicated with fluent pen strokes. Greater ephasisis is then introduced by broader and darker pen lines and wash. As White has pointed out, the rich tonal values would have been to greater use for the artist when biting the plate, than when making the drawing on the plate. Royalton-Kisch has put forward the interesting hypothesis, that the print was begun as a portrait of Saskia, in the first states carried as far as the shoulders, and only then continued as a representation of Esther. The drawing would belong to this phase, the head and hair repeated in a pale ink and the sumptious dress and the hand holding the decree drawn with bolder strokes in a darker ink. The question remains why Rembrandt bothered to draw a full length figure, since it would not fit on the plate. There the figure is a knee-length. There is also more space on the right in the drawing. Perhaps a second version or a painting was contemplated. 27 Benesch 1973, II, no. 395.

24 24 [Rembrandt] #9 Old Rabbi with the Torah Pen and brown ink, brown wash, 127 x 125 mm NM 2065/1863 Grey particles on the surface (from the wash?). Smear of green paint in the lower left corner. In the lower right corner a square piece of paper, c. 24x13 mm, has been inserted; the collectors mark and the figure 212 are on this piece of paper. Ruled framing lines in brown ink. Watermark: Eagle (Close to Heawood 1303: Amsterdam 1640). Chain lines: 22 mm. Numbered in the lower right corner 1865 (Sparre) and 212 (struck out), pen and brown ink. Mark of the Royal Collection (Lugt 1638). Provenance: Roger de Piles? *Crozat (Mariette, p. 101) *C. G. Tessin (List , p. 46v; Cat. 1749, livre 15, no. 7) *Kongl. Bibliotecet (Cat. 1790, no. 1865) *Kongl. Museun (Lugt 1638) Bibliography: Hofstede de Groot 1906, no *Kruse & Neumann 1920, no. IV:10 *Kruse & Neumann 1921, no. IV:10 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt,

25 Werk und Forschung, Wien 1935, p. 22 *Benesch , II, no. 266, fig. 294 *Benesch 1973, II, no. 266, fig. 313 Exhibitions: Stockholm, 1956, no. 88 *Rotterdam, Museum Boymans - Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt tekeningen, 1956, no. 35 *Wien, Albertina, Rembrandt, 1956, no. 17 *Stockholm , no The seated man, seen in profile, is drawn with few, sweeping lines, assisted by a sparing wash, differentiating the volumes and casting a shadow over the Rabbi s forehead and eyes. These means are used in an unusually sparing way, as is also the case in a study of a baby in a cradle in Munich. 28 There are numerous studies of this kind from the mid 1630s with a more abundant pen work and stronger accent; close in style is e.g. the frontal view of an old man in Berlin Benesch 1973, II, no Wegner 1973, no Benesch 1973, II, no. 267; Royalton-Kisch 1992, no. 9.

26 26 [Rembrandt] #10 Woman Wearing av Indian (?) Dress Pen and brown ink, brown wash, white body-colour, on light-brown, prepared paper, 200x142 mm. NM 2076/1863 The white body-colour covers some of the outlines, and seems to be corrections rather thar heightening. Ruled framing lines in brown ink. Brown stains. Laid down. Numbered in the lower right corner 1875 (Sparre) and 4 (struck out), pen and brown ink. Mark of the Royal Collection (Lugt 1638). Provenance: Roger de Piles? *Crozat (Mariette, p. 101) *C. G. Tessin (List , p. 46v; Cat. 1749, livre 15, no. 4) *Kongl. Biblioteket (Cat. 1790, no. 1875) *Kongl. Museum (Lugt 1638) Bibliography: Hofstede de Groot 1906, no.1586 (doubtful) *Kruse & Neumann 1920, no. IV:39 (doubtful) *Kruse & Neumann 1921, no. IV:39 (doubtful) *A. Romdahl, "Rembrandts teckningar", Nationalmusei årsbok,

27 Stockholm 1921, p. 109 *Valentiner II, 1934, no. 656 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Werk und Forschung, Wien 1935, p. 23 *Benesch , II, no. 450, fig. 509 *Benesch 1973, II, no. 450, fig. 539 *P. Lunsingh Scheurleer, "Mogul-miniaturen door Rembrandt nagetekend", De Kroniek van het Rembrandthuis, 1980/1, pp *P. Schatborn, "Ben Broos, Rembrandt en tekenaars uit zijn omgeving", Oud-Holland, 96 (1982), p. 41, n. 151 *L. J. Slatkes, Rembrandt and Persia, New York 1983, p. 22, fig. 9 *P. Schatborn, Drawings by Rembrandt and his Anonymous Pupils and Followers, Catalogue of the Dutch and Flemish Drawings in the Rijksprentencabinett, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Hague 1985, p. 131, n. 12 Exhibitions: Stockholm 1956, no. 91 *Rotterdam, Museum Boymans - Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt tekeningen, 1956, no. 191 *Wien, Albertina, Rembrandt, 1956, no. 38 *Stockholm 1967, no. 275 *Stockholm , no The woman is dressed in a exotic-looking dress or veil with her body visible through it. White body-colour has been applied between the breasts, on the lower part of the body and in both armpits over pen strokes that are now visible, but were clearly ment to be cancelled. They would have made the nudity less apparent. Valentiner and others connected this drawing with a series of copies after contemporary Mogul muniatures. 30 These copies are generally dated around 1656, when a similar motif appears in an etching (Bartsch 29). Their style is very different from that of the present drawing, and there is a general agreement that it should be dated in the later half of the 1630s. It can be compared to drawings like "The Old Rabbi" (Cat. 9), or "Ruth and Naomi" in Rotterdam, etc. 31 There are, among other things, a tendecy to draw profiles with one, continuous line, and a specific way of rendering the hands. Slatkes called the drawing the earliest extant copy from a Persian or Moghul manuscript, comparing it to miniature in the Vatican Library, called a Portrait of a lady. 32 However the differences are very great. In the minature the breasts are bare, the lower part of the body is only faintly visible through the skirt, the hair is not in a knot, the right arm is raised and she holds flowers, the left arm is bent instead of hanging down, there are no shadows. to indicate a light source. Rembrandt s figure looks more like a model posing, perhaps inspired by a miniature of this kind. 30 Benesch 1973, V, no. 1187ff. 31 Benesch 1973, I, no. 161; Giltaij 1988, no Repr. in the Journal of the Warburg andcortauld Institutes, 30 (1976), fig. 29c.

28 28 [Rembrandt] #11 Portrait of a Young Boy Pen, point of brush in brown ink, on brown, prepared paper. 126 x 107 mm. NM 2080/1863 Ruled framing lines in brown ink. No watermark. Chain lines: 22 mm. Inscribed in the lower right corner Rimbrant, and numbered 1879 (Sparre) and 43 (struck out), pen and brown ink. Provenance: Roger de Piles? *Crozat (Mariette, p. 101) *C. G. Tessin (List , p. 68v; Cat. 1749, rivre 18, no. 43) *Kongr. Biblioteket (Cat. 1790, no. 1879) *Kongl. Museum (Lugt 1638) Bibliography: F. Lippmann, Original Drawings by Rembrandt. Reproduced in the Colours of the Originals, III. Series (Continued by C. Hofstede de Groot), The Hague , no. 10 *W. R. Valentiner, Rembrandt und seine Ungebung. Zur Kunstgeschichte des Auslandes, 29, Strassburg 1905, p. 30 *Hofstede de Groot 1906, no * F. Saxl, "Zu einigen Handzeichnungen Rembrandts", Repertorium für Kunstwissenschaft, 31,

29 Berlin 1908, p. 336 *Kruse & Neumann 1920, no. IV:13 *Kruse & Neumann 1921, no. IV:13 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Werk und Forschung, Wien 1935, p. 23 *Benesch, , II, no. 440, fig. 498 *I. H. van Eeghen, Jaarboek Amstelodamum, 43 (1956), pp. 144ff *O. Benesch, Rembrandt as a Draughtsman, London 1960, under no. 21 *W. Sumowski, Benerkungen zu Otto Benesch Corpus der Rembrandtzeichnungen, Bad Pyrmont 1961, p. 7 *S. Slive, Drawings of Rembrandt, New York 1965, no. 227 * O. Benesch, Collected Writings, I, London 1970, p. 253 * Benesch 1973, III, no. 440, fig. 528 *D. Vogel-Köhn, Rembrandts Kinderzeichnungen, Köln 1981 (Diss. 1974), no. 47. Exhibitions: Amsterdam 1935, no. 55 *Stockholm 1956, no. 93 *Rotterdam, Museum Boymans - Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt tekeningen, 1956, no. 83 *Wien, Albertina, Rembrandt, 1956, no. 37 * Stockholm , no Valentiner suggested that the model was Rembrandt's eldest son Rumbartus, born in December 1635, and this was accepted by Benesch. On the strenght of this, the drawing has been dated around However, van Eeghen has shown that the boy only lived for two months. A date in the latter part of the 1630s or around 1640 seems nevertheless probable on stylistic grounds. The same rich contrast between fine pen hatching and broad brush strokes is found in the portrait of Titia (Cat. 12) and the drawing after Raphael s portrait of Castiglione, 33 both dated Benesch 1973, II, no. 451.

30 30 [Rembrandt] #12 Portrait of Titia van Uylenburch Pen and brown ink, brown wash, 174 x 146 mm NM 2078/1863 No watermark. Chain lines: 26 mm. Inscribed by the artist at the bottom in pen and brown ink Tijtsija van Ulenburch / Inscibed in the lower left corner Rhimbrant (Tessin), and numbered 1877 (Sparre) and 44 (struck out), pen and brown ink. Mark of the Royal Collection (Lugt 1638). Provenance: Crozat *C. G. Tessin (List , p. 68v; Cat. 1749, livre 18, no. 44) *Kongl. Biblioteket (Cat. 1790, no. 1877) *Kongl. Museum (Lugt 1638). Bibliography: G. Upmark, Stockholmer Handzeichnungen, Stockholm 1893, no. 15 *Michel 1893, p. 260 *F. Lippmann, Original Drawings by Rembrandt. Reproduced in the Colours of the Originals, II. Series (Continued by C. Hofstede de Groot), The Hague , no. 15

31 *Hofstede de Groot 1906, no.1567 *C. Hofstede de Groot, Die Urkunden ü ber Rembrandt, The Hague 1906, p. 66, no. 63 * R. Graur, Rembrandt, Leipzig 1906, no. 12 *J. Kruse, Rembrandt, Stockholm 1907, p. 117 *W. Weisbach, Impressionismus, ein Probrem der Malerei in der Antike und Neuzeit, Berlin 1910, I, p. 168 *F. Schmidt-Degener, "Portretten door Rembrandt, I. Titia van Uylenburch en Francois Coopal", Unze Kunst, 1913, pp. 2f *C. Neumann, Rembrandts Handzeichnungen, Munich 1919, no. 35 *Kruse & Neumann 1920, no. III:1 *Kruse & Neumann 1921, no. III:1 *C. Neumann, Rembrandt, Munich 1922, I, p. 258 *Valentiner II, 1934, no. 703 *J.L. van Rijckevorsel, Rembrandt en de Traditie, Rotterdam 1932, p. 156 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Werk und Forschung, Wien 1935, p. 28 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Selected Drawings, London & New York 1947, no. 99 *J. Rosenberg, Rembrandt, Cambridge, Mass. 1948, I, p. 248, II, p.205 *Benesch , II, no. 441, fig. 499 *S. Slive, Drawings of Rembrandt, New York 1965, no. 232 O. Benesch, Serected Writings I, London 1970, p. 253 *Benesch 1973, II, no. 441 *D. Vogel-Köhn, Rembrandts Kinderzeichnungen, Köln 1981 (Diss. 1974), p. 46 *W. L. Strauss & M. van der Meulen, The Rembrandt Documents, New York 1979, no. 1639/13. Exhibitions: Amsterdam, Rembrandt, 1935, no. 45 * Stockholm, 1956, no.95 *Rotterdam, Museun Boynans - Amsterdam, Rijcsnuseun, Rembrandt tekeningen, 1956, no. p2, pr. 33 *Wien, Albertina, Rembrandt, 1956, no. 44 * Leningrad 1963 *Stockholm 1967, no. 273 *Washington- Fort Worth-San Francisco, Dürer to Delacroix, 1986, no. 89 *Stockholm 1992, no A portrait of Saskia's sister Titia van Uylenburch ( ), Rembrandt's sister-in-law. It is inscribed and dated by the artist. The portait seems to have been started with a very fine pen, with some additions in brush. In contrast the hands and arms are drawn with broader strokes in a markedly angular manner. Obviously this is due to later reworking, possibly not done in front of the model, on top of very sketchy indications in brush.