Ruled framing lines in brown ink. Inner framing lines drawn freehand by the artist.

Transcription

1 1 Willem Drost Amsterdam 1633 Venice 1659 Painter of history, genre and portraits. A pupil of Rembrandt in the late 1640s. According to Sumowski he developed a style based on the master s work of around He visited both Rome and Venice. In the last decades several works formerly ascribed to Rembrandt have been attributed to him. #1 Menoah's Sacrifice Pen and brown ink, brown wash, 234 x 203 mm NM 2003/1863 Ruled framing lines in brown ink. Inner framing lines drawn freehand by the artist. Watermark: Letters PR. Chain lines: mm. Inscribed at the bottom in pen and black ink L'ange quitte Menöé et sa famme, et s'elance au milieu de la flamme quil avait excitée (P. J. Mariette). Numbered in the lower right corner in pen and brown ink 79, struck out, and 1807 (Sparre).

2 2 Provenance: Crozat *C. G. Tessin (List , p. 46v, as Rembrandt; Cat. 1749, livre 15, no. 70, as Rembrandt) *Kongl. Biblioteket (Cat. 1790, no. 1807, as Rembrandt) *Kongl. Museum (Lugt 1638) Bibliography: R. Michel 1893, p. 268 *F. Lippmann, Original Drawings by Rembrandt. Reproduced in the Colours of the Originals, I. Series, Berlin , p. 128 *Hofstede de Groot 1906, no *F. Wickhoff, Seminarstudien. Einige Zeichnungen Rembrandts mit biblischen Vorwürfen, Innsbruck 1906, No. 5 *H. Kauffmann, Repertorium für Kunstwissenschaft, 41 (1918), p. 42, fig. 8 *C. Neumann, Rembrandts Handzeichnungen, München 1919, no. 63 *Kruse & Neumann 1920, No. I:5 *Kruse & Neumann 1921, nr. I:5 *Valentiner I, 1925, no. 135 *J.L. van Rijckevorsel, Rembrandt en de Traditie, Rotterdam 1932, p. 9, fig. 5, p. 142, fig. 170 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Werk und Forschung, Wien 1935, pp. 30 and 56 *F. Saxl, "Rembrandt's Sacrifice of Menoah", Studies of the Warburg Institute, 9, London 1939, fig. 35 *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Selected Drawings, London & New York 1947, no. 211 *R. Hamann, Rembrandt, 1948, p. 372 *R.W. Valentiner, "Rembrandt's Landscape with a Country House", Art Querterly, XIV (1951), p. 347 *Benesch , no. 975 *W. Sumowski, Nachträge zum Rembrandtjahr 1956, Wissenschaftl. Zeitschr. d. Humbolt- Universität zu Berlin, 7 (1957/58, no. 2, pp. 227f *O. Benesch, Rembrandt as a Draughtsman, London 1960, no. 79, fig. 79 *S. Slive, Drawings of Rembrandt, New York 1965, no. 132 *K.Clark, Rembrandt and the Italian Renaissance, New York 1966, p. 157, fig. 150 * H. Gerson, Rembrandt Paintings, Amsterdam 1968, p. 236, fig. 81b *B. Haak, Rembrandt, his Life, his Work, his Time, 1969, * O. Benesch, Collected Writings I: Rembrandt, London 1970, pp. 95 and 240 *Benesch 1973, no. 975, fig *Rembrandt Research Project, A Corpus of Rembrandt Painting, III, The Hague 1989, under no. C83, fig. 6 *J. Bikker, Willem Drost ( ): a Rembrandt pupil in Amsterdam and Venice, New Haven 2005, no. R2, not Drost?). Exhibitions: Stockholm 1956, no. 111 *Rotterdam, Museum Boymans - Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt tekeningen, 1956, no. 215 *Wien, Albertina, Rembrandt, 1956, no. 119 *Leningrad 1963 *Jerusalem, Israel Museum, Rembrandt, 1965, no. 29 *Stockholm 1967, no.285 (Rembrandt) *Stockholm, 1992, no. 169 *Stockholm, 2005, no The subject is from Judges 13:20. The angel appears in the sacrificial fire to Menoah and his wife. Menoah is struck by fear that the sight of the "man of God" will kill them. The same composition is varied in two more drawings in Dresden and the Reinhart Collection, as well as in a painting in Dresden with Rembrandt's signature and the date The drawings reflect Rembrandt's style of the first part of the 1650s, and Saxl, Benesch and others have suggested that they should be connected with a projected second painting of the same subject. However, the authenticity of the painting has been doubted repetedly, and Sumowski and later Gerson suggested 1 Dresden drawing: Benesch 1973, V, no Reinhart drawing: Benesch 1973, V, no. 976; Sumowski, Drawings, 3, 1980, no. 561x. The painting in Dresden: Rembrandt Research Project, A Corpus of Rembrandt Painting, III, The Hague 1989, no. C 83.

3 3 that it was a work by Jan Victors. Benesch originally thought that the painting had been modified following the drawings, but later came to consider it a work by a pupil. (In the posthumous version of his catalogue the first view is repeated.) Similarly Bauch and Clark suggested a later date for the painting, considering it a studio work dependent on the drawings. While most authors have accepted all three drawings as autograph, Sumowsky considered the Reinhart drawing the work of a pupil, corrected by Rembrandt, as there is some reworking in the upper left corner. He also classified the Dresden drawing as a school drawing after the painting. Regarding the Reinhart drawing, Sumowski was followed by Benesch, who grouped it with other drawings, several of which, including the Reinhart drawing, Sumowsky has later attributed to Drost. To most critics, the powerful chiaroscuro has placed the present drawing firmly in Rembrandt's oeuvre. However, the Rembrandt Research Project has shown that the signature and date on the painting in Dresden are not genuine, and that it has been cut down and the angel painted anew further down. Its original appearance must have been very like the present drawing. They also attributed the painting to Drost on the strength of comparisons with other paintings by him, and suggested that all three drawings were made by Drost in preparation of the now mutilated painting. It is argued convincingly that the drawings show two stages in the developement of the composition, and that particularly the Dresden and Stockholm drawings are very close in style. The composition is indebted to Rembrandt s "The Angel leaving Tobit", painted c The angel s expressive flight as he leaves Tobit is inspired by Marten van Heemskerck s print of the same subject. Although the position of the angel is similar in the drawings it seems to be modelled on one of these wooden mannekins used in the artist s studios, to which wings and an appearance of fluttering garments has been added with a few strokes. Rembrandt returned to the subject in an etching of 1641 (Bartsch 43). Bikker has argued strongly against attribution the painting in Dresden to Drost and throws doubt on the attribution of the drawings, but he does not discuss the Stockholm drawing. 2 Rembrandt Research Project, A Corpus of Rembrandt Painting, III, The Hague 1989, no. A121.

4 4 [Drost] #2 Young Man in a Hat Seated at a Table Pen and blown ink, 98 x 85 mm NM 2034/1863 Watermark: Uncertain. Chain lines: 22 mm. Inscribed in the lower right corner 1835 (Sparre), pen and brown ink. Provenance: Crozat *C. G. Tessin (List , p. 46v, as Rembrandt; Cat. 1749, livre 15, no. 46, as Rembrandt) *Kongl. Biblioteket (Cat. 1790, no. 1835, as Rembrandt) *Kongl. Museum (Lugt 1638) Bibliography: Hofstede de Groot, 1577 *Kruse & Neumann 1920, no. IV:21 (Rembrandt) *Kruse & Neumann 1921, no. IV:21 (Rembrandt) *F. Lugt , III, p. 55 sub 1286 (not Rembrandt) *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Werk und Forschung, Wien 1935, p. 61 *Benesch , no. 1094, fig (Rembrandt) *E. Haverkamp-Begemann, "Otto Benesch, The Drawings of Rembrandt", Kunstchronik, XIV (1961), p.78 (not Rembrandt) *Benesch 1973, V, no. 1094, fig (Rembrandt) *Wegner 1973, p. 121, under 857 (Renesse?) *M. Bernhard, Rembrandt, Handzeichnungen, Munich 1976, II, p.

5 5 531(Rembrandt) *Sumowski, Drawings, 3, no. 559a x *Royalton-Kisch 1992, p. 87, under nos. 101 and 102. Exhibitions: Stockholm, 1992, no. 170 *Stockholm, 2005, no Kruse noted the similarity of the model and his dress with that of a Reclining young man in the British Museum. 3 It has generally been considered to be by Rembrandt, but Lugt thought it belonged to a group of drawings by an undefined pupil of Rembrandt. 4 Several were attributed to Drost by Valentiner and later Pont. 5 Benesch also considered some of these drawings to be by an anonymous member of Rembrandt's circle. 6 Haverkamp-Begemann attributed our drawing, and the one in London to an anonymous follower of Rembrandt. Sumowsky, agreeing that they are by the same hand, has suggested Drost. This has been accepted by Royalton-Kisch, who dates the drawings c Benesch 1973, V, no In this group Lugt also included Cat. # and # [Kruse IV:22, 23]. 5 Valentiner, II, 1934, p. XXVI; D. Pont, "De komposities 'Ruth en Naomi' te Bremen en te Oxford. Toeschrijving aen Willem Drost", Oud Holland, LXXV (1960). 6 Benesch 1973, VI, under no. A84. He reports Valentiners view.

6 6 [Drost] #3 A Blind Hurdy-Gurdy Player with a Singing Boy Pen and brown ink, brown wash, 147 x 122 mm NM 2017/1863 Watermark: Foolscap. Chain lines: mm. Numbered in the lower right corner in pen and brown ink 59 (struck out), 210(?) (struck out) and 1819 (Sparre). Provenance: Crozat *C. G. Tessin (List , p. 46v, as Rembrandt; Cat. 1749, livre 15, no. 59, as Rembrandt) *Kongl. Biblioteket (Cat. 1790, no. 1819, as Rembrandt) *Kongl. Museum (Lugt 1638) Bibliography: Hofstede de Groot, 1605 *Kruse & Neumann 1920, no. IV:23 (Rembrandt) *Kruse & Neumann 1921, no. IV:23 (Rembrandt) *F. Lugt , p. 55, under no (not Rembrandt, Drost?) *O. Benesch, Rembrandt, Werk und Forschung, Wien 1935, p. 51 (Rembrandt) *Benesch , no. 1163, fig (Rembrandt) *E. Haverkamp-Begemann, "Otto Benesch, The Drawings of Rembrandt", Kunstchronik, XIV (1961), p. 78 (not Rembrandt)

7 7 *Benesch 1973, no. 1163, fig (Rembrandt) *W. Bernhard, Rembrandt, Handzeichnungen, Munich 1976, II, p. 536 (Rembrandt) *Sumowski, Drawings, 3, 1980, no. 559b x * M. Royalton-Kisch, Peintres rembrandtesques au Louvre, Burlington Magazine, 132 (1990), p Exhibitions: Stockholm, 1967, no. 47 *Stockholm, 1992, no See the previous number. Kruse judged this drawing to be the weakest of the group considered. He refers Saxl s remark that the motif is reminiscent of an etching of street musicians by Rembrandt. Benesch refutes some of Kruse s comparisons, but stesses the similarity with the previous drawing. For him they both belong to the mid 1650s. Royalton-Kisch in turn comments on an earlier reluctance to attribute drawings to Drost, who skillfully imitated the master around He compares the drawing with two others in Rotterdam, closely related in the way the profiles are drawn, among other things.