The copperplate was in the sale by Jean de Bary (1759, lot 47), where sold to Ottens. It then became part of the set of plates subsequently owned and used for printing Recueils by Claude-Henri Watelet, Pierre-François Basan, Henri-Louis Basan (his nr 1377), Auguste Jean (ca 1809), Veuve Jean, Auguste and Michel Bernard (1846), Alvin-Beaumont (1906) and Robert Lee Humber (1937). It was sold at the Artemis sale in London (1993) and is now in a private collection in the USA.

Genesis 37, verses 5-11
This etching shows the moment when Joseph, aged 17 and yet the favourite son of Jacob, tells his father and eleven brothers about two dreams in which he is told that his brothers will eventually obey him.

The outstretched hands seem to indicate the bowing of the wheat (read: brothers) that Joseph has seen in his dream. One can see in the eyes of the brothers that they are not very happy with this prophecy. Joseph’s story is shocking enough to make the woman rise from her bed and Jacobs only daughter, Dina, look up from her book. Either the man on the left, with the troubled look in his eyes, or the man directly behind Joseph could be Ruben, the eldest brother. He will later try to save Joseph. The man in the background at right may be Juda, the one that will prevent the killing of Joseph and his sale to Egypt. All ten brothers, except Benjamin, the youngest, are pictured, although one only by means of a hand on the right side. Rembrandt has each of them react in a different way, from deeply shocked to sceptical or just amused. Seelig points at the fact that the mother Rachel is shown in her sickbed while, according to the bible, she has already passed away at that time. A typical anomaly one sees more often in Rembrandt’s work. Not only in his work, since an etching by Lucas of Leyden (B 19) has the same feature, as does an etching by Aldegrever (B 18).

Note the dog in the front, caught in an intimate moment.

Rembrandt made several preliminary studies for this etching. Like one grisaille (c. 1633-34, Corpus A 66, now in the Rijksmuseum).
The sitting girl and one of the brothers also appear in a drawing (Benesch 168, the Kramarsky Collection, New York).
The figure of Jacob is visible (in reverse) in a drawing in red chalk (1631, Benesch 20, earlier in the Alain Delon Collection in Paris, now in a private collection in New York).
Hinterding also points at an intermediate drawing in the Boymans van Beuningen (Benesch 161 verso) for the re-arrangement of the composition.
Van de Wetering considers this drawing as one of the few occasions where the drawing precedes the etching or painting. Münz provides a series of references for the various persons. His opinion is that Rembrandt used his mother, not Saskia, as model for the sick woman.

Thee New Hollstein lists two copies in reverse. Copy A is probably made in Denon’s workshop (109 x 82 mm). Copy B is an anonymous one (108 x 80 mm).

The etching is considered as special by Coppier. According to Singer the plate is not by Rembrandt.

The New Hollstein lists six states, of which the final three not by Rembrandt. Most other authors list three states, Nowell-Usticke one trial print and five states. From his 3rd state there are later impressions by P.F.Basan, Jean, Bernard and Beaumont.
In the 1st state (NH,WB, R130/trial proof NU) there is thin horizontal shading between Joseph’s left arm and the cheek of the woman°.
In the 2nd state (NH, WB, R131/1st state NU) the shading is gone°, the corners are rounded. The face of the man behind Joseph is still without shading°. The lower outline of his face is strengthened.
In the 3rd state (NH, WB final, R132/NU 2nd state) there is shading in the face of the man° and in the curtain.
In the 4th state (NH/NU 3rd state, P.F. Basan) much shading is added in drypoint, like on the table top to the right°, the figure behind the table. There is shading added between Josef’s arm and the cheek of the girl°.
In the 5th state (NH, R133/BB, NU 4th state) the plate is completely retouched. There is cross-hatching on the top of the table. Early impressions (by Jean) are fairly strong, some on greenish paper.
The 6th state (NH/NU 5th state, Bernard, Beaumont) is heavily retouched. Many new shading lines, like horizontals in the top left triangle of the arch.

Of the 1st state only three impressions are known, in the Dutuit and Rothschild Collections (both Paris) and in the Hessisches Landesmuseum (Darmstadt).
There is a counterproof of the 3rd state in the Bibliothèque Nationale.
Nowell-Usticke considered the impressions in the Recueil de Basan to be good.

In the 2nd state: Strasbourg Lily, initials BA (c 1638); Arms of Baden Hochberg (c.1638); Strasbourg lily.
In the 3rd state: Basilisk (c. 1640-57); Arms of Amsterdam.

H 160, BB 38-E, G 37, M 205, Mz 175, RA 130-133 , Cl 41, W 41, Bl 9, Du 41, CD 117.
Tümpel 1970 p. 14; Tümpel 2006, p. 39-40; Spijkerboer 2006, p. 64; Hinterding 2008, p. 86-89; The Painter at Work 2009, p. 81; Rutgers/Standring 2018, p. 64; Rosenberg 2017, p. 101-109; Bikker 2019, p. 70.

The NewHollstein: 3rd state of VI/White-Boon: 3rd of III.
A good impression, mounted in an old passe-partout. The additional shadow on the table-top, typical for the 4th state (NH) is not yet visible. Before the shadow between the left arm of Joseph and the face of the girl, typical for the Basan impressions.
Sheet 115 x 88 mm, margins of 2-3 mm all around (+11%).
Probably no watermark, horizontal chain lines at approx. 27 mm.

Rembrandt, fotograaf avant-la-lettre, Museum De Reede (Antwerp), January – May 2023;
Rembrandt, 17th century photographer, Daegu Art Museum (Korea), November 2023 – March 2024;