Earlier catalogues
Earlier catalogues
In 1751 the French art dealer Edme-Francois Gersaint published the first catalogue raisonnée of Rembrandt’s graphical works. It proofs the enormous popularity of his prints, that were distributed all over Europe. It is interesting to note that the first catalogue of his paintings was published almost a century later. The catalogue described 341 plates. In words only, there were no illustrations. Gersaint introduced twelve categories of prints (self-portraits, New Testament, landscapes, etc). It is still used today, for instance in this 21st version.
Since Gersaint a total of 19 other catalogues have been published, an average of a new catalogue every fourteen years. Some of these catalogues were not of much importance. But some did have a lasting influence on the knowledge about Rembrandt’s etched works. Like the catalogue published in 1796 by Adam von Bartsch, Conservator of the Imperial Prints Collection in Vienna. He introduced a new numbering system, based on the categories of Gersaint. That system has survived and is still widely used, like in this catalogue. Around 1860 Blanc published the first catalogue to contain illustrations, using heliogravures made by Joseph Amand Durand. In 1912 Hind, Conservator of the British Museum, published a catalogue in which, for the first time, the sequence and numbering was chronological.
After WWII a number of catalogues, each focussing on some aspects of the prints, were published. The catalogue of Münz (1952) was the first to have a separate volume with photographs of all works. Björklund and Barnard (1995) and especially Nowell-Usticke (1967) added as much as possible later states, printed after 1800. The latter also made a first attempt to estimate the number of impressions still in existence, based on the results in auctions.
The Hollstein and New Hollstein
By far the most important catalogues are those published in resp. 1969 and 2013 as part of the Hollstein series of catalogues. They are generally referred to as the Hollstein and the New Holstein, although the former is better known as “White-Boon” (after the authors Christopher White and Karel Boon). It uses the numbering of Bartsch and has, for many years, been the leading catalogue in identifying separate states. The New Hollstein, by Erik Hinterding and JacoRutgers, has now taken over that role. Their work is based on extensive research, covering more than eighteen thousand impressions in more than 100 large collections all over the world. Each of these were photographed and used for digital comparisons. Moreover, about a third of these impressions were also x-rayed, revealing watermarks or parts thereof. It provided ample information on authenticity and dating. As a result Hinterding/Rutgers were able to identify many new states. Its seven bands contain not only written descriptions and photographs of each state, they also contain all presently known copies.
The New Hollstein again introduced a new, chronological numbering.
In this catalogue the main numbering is still that introduced by Bartsch (B). The underlying division in 12 categories make it much easier to find the print you are looking for. The New Hollstein numbering (NH) is always added, if only because for the states the New Hollstein is leading.