421 - 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). 15 x 10.1 cm (sheet). Bartsch 41; White/Boon 41 II (of III); Hinterding/Rutgers (The New Hollstein) 268 II (of III). Provenance: Unidentified, initials “Lev.” in brown ink lower right (not in Lugt). A very good, strong impression of New Hollstein’s second state (of three), featuring the scratch across David’s lower back; printed with good clarity and strong contrasts, with narrow margins. David in Prayer occupies a distinctive place within Rembrandt’s graphic oeuvre, both stylistically and technically. Executed almost entirely in etching, with only a few delicate touches of drypoint on the blanket covering the bed, the print displays an unusual consistency in the depth and strength of its lines. Much of David’s figure and the surrounding forms are defined less by contour than by carefully modulated passages of light and shadow. Rather than relying on outlines, Rembrandt employs dense networks of hatching to suggest volume and spatial presence, creating an atmospheric, painterly effect that distinguishes the print from the majority of his etched work. – The sheet is slightly toned with age. The tip of the upper right corner has been skillfully repaired. There is a crease in the lower right corner. The reverse side shows remnants of a previous mounting in the corners and a flattened diagonal crease. Otherwise, it is well preserved. Taxation: subject to differential taxation (VAT: Margin Scheme).