267 - Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606 Leiden – Amsterdam 1669), Jupiter and Antiope: Smaller Plate.

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606 Leiden – Amsterdam 1669), Jupiter and Antiope: Smaller Plate. Etching and engraving on laid paper. (c. 1631). 8.9 x 11.7 cm (sheet). Bartsch 204; White/Boon 204 II (of II); Hinterding/Rutgers (The New Hollstein) 78 II (of II). A fine impression of New Hollstein’s second state, with traces of burr beneath her breasts and in Jupiter’s hair. *Jupiter and Antiope* is one of Rembrandt’s earliest mythological subjects and a rare foray into the erotic genre. Jupiter, disguised as a satyr, leans over the sleeping Antiope, whose illuminated body forms the focal point of the intimate composition. Executed in the early 1630s, the etching is markedly different from Rembrandt’s larger treatment of the subject nearly thirty years later. Here, the small format and delicate shading create a quiet, atmospheric scene, while Antiope’s relaxed features convey sleep with remarkable naturalism. – A tiny mark in reddish-brown chalk in the upper corner. Verso with further traces of reddish-brown chalk. Otherwise in good condition. Taxation: subject to regular taxation (VAT: Regular Taxation).