386 - Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606, Leiden – Amsterdam, 1669), *The Raising of Lazarus: The Larger Plate*.

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606, Leiden – Amsterdam, 1669), *The Raising of Lazarus: The Larger Plate*. Etching and engraving on laid paper, Strasbourg Lily watermark with countermark (cf. Hinterding, variant A-4). (c. 1632). 38.2 x 26 cm (sheet). Bartsch 73; White/Boon 73 VIII (of X); Hinterding/Rutgers (The New Hollstein) 113 V (of IX). Provenance: Verso with an unidentified collector’s stamp (not in Lugt). A fine, strong lifetime impression of New Hollstein’s fifth state (of nine) featuring the two reworked figures below the outstretched arm of the standing man. The mouth of the woman standing below is almost closed, and her hair is now curly. Before the revisions to the tomb and on the back of the woman bent forward in the lower right. Narrow margins around the platemark. In this depiction of the biblical scene, Christ raises the dead Lazarus from his tomb. The composition is dramatic: Christ stands elevated beside the grave, his hand outstretched in a commanding gesture of resurrection. Around him, a group of figures recoil in fear and awe, their expressions and movements caught between terror and wonder. Lazarus, having only just returned from the dead, begins to rise from the darkness of the tomb. The etching reveals Rembrandt’s masterful use of light and shadow, and his extraordinary ability to convey emotional intensity through a tightly composed theatrical scene. – Small pale spots in the upper left corner. A vertical, closed tear along the lower edge. Smoothed vertical and horizontal creases, some of which have been discreetly repaired. A few inconspicuous brown spots; otherwise in good condition. Taxation: subject to differential taxation (VAT: Margin Scheme).