262 - Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606 Leiden - Amsterdam 1669), The Flight into Egypt: Crossing a Brook.

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606 Leiden - Amsterdam 1669), The Flight into Egypt: Crossing a Brook. Etching, engraving and drypoint on laid paper. (1654). 9.5 x 14.4 cm (sheet). Bartsch 55; White/Boon 55; Hinterding/Rutgers (The New Hollstein) 277 only state. Provenance: Julian Manheimer (1871–1947), Zurich, with his collector's stamp verso (Lugt 1840d). A superb, strong and early impression of New Hollstein's only state, with the characteristic burr and the nuances of foul biting around the donkey's forelegs clearly visible. The fine double vertical scratch on the Virgin's left cheek and the fine diagonal scratch across her light shoulder are distinct, as are the fine vertical wiping scratches in the lower left corner; the corners of the plate are still square. Trimmed on or to the platemark. One of a total of eight prints on the subject of the Flight into Egypt or the Rest on the Flight into Egypt, all of which differ considerably in style, composition and format, the present etching once again demonstrates Rembrandt's remarkable willingness to experiment with the medium and his ability to adapt his technique to different pictorial challenges. By applying acid directly and loosely to the plate, using a technique known as open bite, Rembrandt created a painterly effect that convincingly evokes the fluid surface of the stream along the lower edge of the composition. – A small brown spot at lower left. Verso with a flattened vertical crease, remnants of a previous mounting and some light staining. Otherwise in good condition. Taxation: regelbesteuert (VAT: Regular Taxation).