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B 325

Bust of an old man with a flowing beard

  • French title:
    Vieillard a barbe carré, fort large
  • German title:
    Greis mit langem Bart, stark vorgebeugt
  • Dutch title:
    Oude man met lange baard, het hoofd voorover gebogen
  • New Hollstein:
    64
  • Rembrandt in Black & White:
    95

Etching. 1630.
Size: 91 x 76 mm. Surface: 69 cm2.
Signed in monogram and dated, in the upper left corner: RHL 1630

NH 64 – Only state

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Copper Plate

The plate was not part of any of the major collections and is probably not in existence.

Rarity of impressions

  • In auctions (2000-2023): rare                                                 Early: 11                                        ⦿⦿⦿⦿⊙⊙

  • In collections (New Hollstein – 2013): very rare                   Early: 43                                       ⦿⦿⦿⦿⦿⊙

  • Catalogue Nowell-Usticke (1967): RRR, a very rare plate                                                        ⦿⦿⦿⦿⦿⊙

Description

One of the series of an old man with long beards that Rembrandt made in this period.

Related

Rembrandt made two more etchings of this subject in the period 1630-1631, see B 291 and B 309. He also made several drawings of an old man with a long beard in the same period, like one in red chalk (Benesch 38, now in the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm) and one that was formerly attributed to Gerard Dou (Benesch 39, now in the Louvre). The drawing in Stockholm shows a similar posture and may have been a preliminary study for this etching.

Copies

There is one copy in reverse, possibly by James Bretherton (78 x 61 mm, WB).

Attributions and reviews

The etching is considered as special by Rovinsky.
The plate was made by a pupil according to Münz (possibly van Vliet, then completed by Rembrandt) and Singer

States

All authors list one state only. The 1st state of Münz and Rovinsky (R865, now in Berlin) is a falsification.
In earlier impressions the RHL 16 of the signature is very faint, whereas the 30 is strong.
In later impressions the RHL 16 is much stronger (NU).

Watermarks

Basel crosier (c. 1634-35); Foolscap with five-pointed collar with cm LB (c. 1650); Single-headed eagle.

Literature

H 27, BB 30-J, G 304, M 30, Mz 40, RA 865-866, Cl 318, W 323, Bl 282, Du 318, CD 29
Hinterding 2006, II p. 326; Hinterding 2008, p. 568-569; Baas 2015, p. 96-97;

Rembrandt in Black & White: 95

NH/WB: Only state.
A fine impression with the foul biting still printing in the lower right plate mark, mainly visible verso. The RHL 16 of the signature very faint, indicating an early impression.
Sheet 91/88 x 76/74 mm, cut at and slightly within the platemark (-2%).
Partial watermark, three balls of a foolscap (c. 1650). Horizontal chain lines at approx. 22 mm.

Provenance

In the collection of the English collector G.T. Clough (Liverpool 1840-1928 London, Lugt 1220), his collector’s mark (upside down) in black ink verso.

Exhibitions

Rembrandt in Zwart-Wit, Westfries Museum (Hoorn), Het Markiezenhof (Bergen op Zoom), Stedelijk Museum Zutphen, Het Hannemahuis (Harlingen), Museum Gouda, Jan ten Horne Museum (Weert), Stadsmuseum Harderwijk, March 2013-August 2015;
Rembrandt in Black & White: Schloβ Britz (Berlin), Chateau de Penthes (Geneva), November 2015-October 2016;
Rembrandt, 17th century photographer, Daegu Art Museum (Korea), November 2023 – March 2024;
Rembrandt, de fotograaf, Westfries Museum (Hoorn), June 2024 – January 2025;

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