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Overview
During his lifetime, Rembrandt's extraordinary skills as a printmaker were the main source of his international fame. Unlike his oil paintings, prints travelled light and were relatively cheap. For this reason, they soon became very popular with collectors not only within, but also beyond the borders of the Netherlands. It also explains why, three centuries later, they were affordable for Sir John Ilott, who presented 37 Rembrandt prints to the National Art Gallery.
This print is sub-titled 'small plate' to differentiate it from the later Christ Crucified Between Two Thieves (1641), which is also in Te Papa's collection (1967-0002-23) and the astounding The Three Crosses (1653 and later). Yet it is an impressive early work in its own right. It is very effectively composed with strong contrasts and highly developed line work. Presenting the viewer with a sensitive interpretation of Christ on the Cross, close attention has been paid to the intricate features on the figures. Creating a solemn and reflective scene, the figures surrounding Christ are placed in the lower area of the image, giving this work weight and depth. The line work is intricately hatched throughout the image with highly developed areas on the back of the standing figure and on Christ. The overlapping figures interweave between one another, presenting a rhythmic quality to the image. The swooning figure of the devastated Virgin Mary at lower left enhances the powerful emotion of the tragic scene.
Te Papa's impression is from the first state of three, the only one by Rembrandt himself. It pre-dates the reworking of shadowy areas in Henri Louis Basan’s Parisian workshop, e.g. on the cloak of the figure with his back to us in the foreground, on the top of the cross and on Christ’s side (c. 1797-1809).
References: New Hollstein Dutch 143, 1st of 3 states; Hollstein Dutch 80, undescribed state.
See: Masterworks Fine Art, https://www.masterworksfineart.com/artist/harmensz-van-rijn-rembrandt/the-crucifixion-small-plate-c-1635/
Dr Mark Stocker Curator, Historical International Art August 2017