253 - Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606, Leiden – Amsterdam, 1669), *David in Prayer*.

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606, Leiden – Amsterdam, 1669), *David in Prayer*. Etching and drypoint on laid paper. (1652). 14.4 x 9.4 cm (plate), 19 x 13.1 cm (sheet). Bartsch 41; White/Boon 41 I (of III); Hinterding/Rutgers (The New Hollstein) 268 I (of III). A fine, deep black lifetime impression of New Hollstein’s first state (of three), with the corners of the plate still square, rich drypoint burr along the lower fringes of the bedcover and on the adjacent pillow, and inky plate edges on the right and below. With wide margins. “David in Prayer” is stylistically and technically unusual within Rembrandt’s body of print work. Executed predominantly in etching, with only a few touches of drypoint, the figure and interior are defined less by outlines than by densely worked areas of light and shadow. Through subtle hatching, Rembrandt creates volume and atmosphere, lending the scene an unusually painterly quality. The print depicts King David in penitential prayer following his adultery with Bathsheba, traditionally associated with Psalm 51. The sumptuous bed behind him alludes to his transgression, while the harp in the foreground identifies him as the biblical king and psalmist. Kneeling in the shadowy interior, David thus appears not as a triumphant ruler, but as a deeply human figure absorbed in remorse and contemplation. – The sheet is slightly stained by age along the edges and on the reverse. The reverse bears old mounting strips and a strip of transparent adhesive tape. Otherwise in good condition. Taxation: subject to regular taxation (VAT: Regular Taxation).