Vintage 1974 Rembrandt "The Artist Drawing from a Model" Art Plate

Vintage 1974 black and white art plate of the 1639 etching The Artist Drawing from a Model by Rembrandt. Affixed to chipboard backing for maximum ease in styling, propping, or framing.

Image: 7 1/8” x 8 3/4”

This print has always fascinated students and collectors alike. It affords an opportunity to understand the artist's method, his approach to a work in progress. We will recall Dürer's engraving Adam and Exe (plate 22). The first state of that engraving bears a startling resemblance to the present print. But whereas Dürer continued his effort and brought his representation of Adam and Eve to completion, this print, to the best of our knowledge, was left in its present state. It is worth noting that Picasso seems to have been impressed by the quality inherent in such "unfinished" works as the present one: we know that he was enormously impressed and inspired by Rembrandt. In his famous series of prints known as the Suite Vollard (plates 94 and 95), Picasso adopted this device of finishing some areas while leaving other sections merely suggested by outlines. With Picasso there is no accident; his prints are not states, nor are they unfinished. He simply capitalizes on the effectiveness of an unelaborated area to stimulate the viewer's imagination.

Here we have the opportunity to appraise Rembrandt's incredible skill as a draftsman. It is possible that he first made a pen drawing which he translated, by means of drypoint, into a suggestive outline on the copper plate. (After the year I639, Rembrandt made greater use of combined techniques, and usually employed drypoint.) It is also possible that like other skilled craftsmen-Segonzac is a good example today-he worked directly on the plate. Once the outline was indicated, a craftsman as brilliant as Rembrandt was free to elaborate his concept as he has done in the upper portion of this picture.