Currently not on view
Descent from the Cross,
1633
Rembrandt van Rijn, 1606–1669; born Leiden, Netherlands; died Amsterdam, Netherlands
x1937-267 bis
Throughout his career, Rembrandt painted, drew, or etched scenes from Christ’s Passion that emphasize his keen interest in the human drama. Made with the help of engraver Jan van Vliet, this large print reproduces Rembrandt’s dramatic Descent from the Cross (Alte Pinakothek, Munich), one of a series of paintings commissioned from the young artist in the early 1630s by Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange. An eye familiar with Rembrandt’s self-portraits—already in circulation in the late 1620s—would have recognized his likeness in the scowling figure on the ladder who assists in taking down Christ’s body. Rembrandt’s inclusion of classical buildings in the background reflects his fascination with the world of antiquity, which he evoked without ever leaving Holland.
Information
Title
Descent from the Cross
Dates
1633
Maker
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
plate (sheet trimmed to plate): 52.7 × 41 cm (20 3/4 × 16 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Junius S. Morgan, Class of 1888
Object Number
x1937-267 bis
Place Made
Europe, Netherlands
Inscription
Signed and dated in plate, lower center: Rembrandt f cum pryvl 1633
Marks/Labels/Seals
Watermark: fleur-de-lys in circle with indistinct crown and pendant 4 [?]
Collector Walter Francis Duke of Buccleuch’s stamp, verso: (Lugt 402)
Reference Numbers
Bartsch 81; Biörklund and Barnard 33; Hind 103; Hollstein 81; Münz 198; New Hollstein 189.119
Type
Materials
Techniques
Subject
Walter Francis Duke of Buccleuch [1806-1884, Lugt 402]. Junius S. Morgan [1867-1932]; bequeathed to Princeton University Art Museum, 1932.
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- Charles Henry Middleton-Wake, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Etched Work of Rembrandt van Rhyn (London: J. Murray, 1878)., no. 231
- Ludwig Münz, Rembrandt's Etchings: Reproductions of the Whole Original Etched Work (London: Phaidon Press, 1952)., no. 271
- George Biörklund and Osbart H. Barnard, Rembrandt's Etchings, True and False (Stockholm, New York [etc.], 1968)., no. 48
-
F.W.H. Hollstein, “Rembrandt,” Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings, and woodcuts, ca. 1450-1700 (Amsterdam: M. Hertzberger, 1969).
, no. 86 -
Erik Hinterding and Jaco Rutgers, Ger Luijten, ed., "Rembrandt," New Hollstein Dutch & Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts, 1450-1700 (Ouderkerk aan den Ijssel: Sound & Vision Publishers ; Amsterdam: In co-operation with the Rijksprentenkabinet, Rijksmuseum, 2013).
, no. 243, p. 164 - Arthur Mayger Hind, Rembrandt's etchings: an essay and a catalogue, with some notes on the drawings (New York: Scribner, 1912)., no. 233
