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Lot Essay
Daniel Daulby (d. 1797), who wrote one of the first systematic catalogues of Rembrandt's prints, remarked that this small, early etching was 'esteemed as a great curiosity, being very seldom to be procured' (Daulby, 1796, no. 168, p. 113). It is indeed one of the great rarities of Rembrandt's printed oeuvre: only a total of 14 impressions are recorded, including the present one. The plate was reworked in five states, of which only the first is entirely by Rembrandt, known in a unique impression at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. This first state is very flawed, with many lines failing to bite, as Rembrandt still grappled with the etching process. Perhaps Rembrandt asked for professional help, as in the subsequent states another, technically more proficient etcher seems to have taken over by re-etching the composition to strengthen the lines and clarify the image.
In this scene of poverty and homelessness, we see a bearded, elderly man squatting, as it seems, by the side of the road. Dressed in rags, with a hole in his trousers and his left foot bare, he is warming his hands and body in his struggle to survive the winter cold by leaning over a brazier (see also lot 50). Below his left knee seems to hang a rattle, which lepers were obliged to carry to warn passer-bys of their disease. The man's long, heavy fur coat offers some protection and solace, as does the company of his dog. Visually, the figures of the man and the dog are united by the dark shadow they both cast to the left. Their similar, hunched-over poses and unkept appearances further emphasize their companionship. The dog loyally shares the adverse living conditions with a sad, resigned expression.
This extremely rare sheet was part of the collection of George Bjørklund, collector and co-author, with Osbert Barnard, of the catalogue Rembrandt's Etchings - True and False, published in 1955. Then it went into possession of Richard Dawney, 10th Viscount Downe. In 2011, Christie’s sold a presentation copy of that catalogue, which Barnard had dedicated to Downe.
In this scene of poverty and homelessness, we see a bearded, elderly man squatting, as it seems, by the side of the road. Dressed in rags, with a hole in his trousers and his left foot bare, he is warming his hands and body in his struggle to survive the winter cold by leaning over a brazier (see also lot 50). Below his left knee seems to hang a rattle, which lepers were obliged to carry to warn passer-bys of their disease. The man's long, heavy fur coat offers some protection and solace, as does the company of his dog. Visually, the figures of the man and the dog are united by the dark shadow they both cast to the left. Their similar, hunched-over poses and unkept appearances further emphasize their companionship. The dog loyally shares the adverse living conditions with a sad, resigned expression.
This extremely rare sheet was part of the collection of George Bjørklund, collector and co-author, with Osbert Barnard, of the catalogue Rembrandt's Etchings - True and False, published in 1955. Then it went into possession of Richard Dawney, 10th Viscount Downe. In 2011, Christie’s sold a presentation copy of that catalogue, which Barnard had dedicated to Downe.