290 - Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606, Leiden – Amsterdam, 1669), Jan Cornelis Sylvius, Preacher.

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606, Leiden – Amsterdam, 1669), Jan Cornelis Sylvius, Preacher. Etching, engraving, and drypoint on laid paper, Strasbourg Bend watermark (Hinterding, variant A.a.2°). (1646). 28.2 x 19.3 cm (sheet). Bartsch 280; White/Boon 280 II (of II); Hinterding/Rutgers (The New Hollstein) 235 II (of II). Provenance: Pierre Mariette (1634–1716), Paris, with his handwritten collector’s mark dated 1670 on the reverse (Lugt 1789); Alfred Ritter von Franck (1808–1884), Vienna and Graz, with his handwritten collector’s mark dated 1817 (Lugt 946); Gustav Ritter von Franck (1807–1860), Vienna, with his collector’s mark on the reverse (Lugt 1152); Samuel Graf von Festetics (1806–1862), Vienna, with his handwritten collector’s mark dated 1851 on the reverse (Lugt 926); Joseph Daniel Böhm (1794–1865), Vienna, with his collector’s mark (Lugt 272); August Artaria (1807–1893), Vienna, with his collector’s mark on the reverse (Lugt 33); Rudolph Philip Goldschmidt (1863–1914), Berlin, with his collector’s mark on the reverse (Lugt 2926). An exceptionally fine, early impression of New Hollstein’s second and final state, with a Strasbourg Bend watermark (Hinterding A.a.2, dated 1646), the same watermark recorded for impressions of the first state (Hinterding, p. 243). Printed with luminous contrasts, remarkable clarity, and subtle modulation, featuring exceptionally pronounced burr marks and a delicate sulfur tint clearly visible on the face and in other blank areas. With a warm plate tone. With narrow margins on three sides, trimmed to the platemark at the bottom. In this posthumous portrait, Rembrandt depicts his family friend, the preacher Jan Cornelis Sylvius, with remarkable illusionistic flair. Sylvius leans forward within an oval frame, his right hand raised mid-gesture, while his head, hand, and book cast shadows beyond the borderline. This technique creates a striking sense of physical presence and vitality, particularly fitting for a man celebrated for the power of his sermons. The exceptional quality of this print enhances these effects. Traces of burr and selectively wiped plate tone lend texture and atmosphere, while the delicate sulfur tint across the face—an unusual effect in Rembrandt’s portrait prints—further heightens the sitter’s presence. – The lower left and right corners are slightly thinned on the reverse, with a minute tear at the tip of the lower right corner. A few minute brown spots. On the reverse, the paper is slightly rubbed in the upper corners and bears old adhesive strips. Otherwise in very good condition. Taxation: subject to regular taxation (VAT: Regular Taxation).