The copperplate was almost certainly in the possession of the Six family, since in 1710 it showed up in the estate of Jan Six, as described by his son-in-law Daniel Jean Bernard. The plate has not been seen since and is probably not in existence anymore.

Rembrandt made this etching on commission from Jan Six. To be used as a frontispiece in his book about the tragedy of Medea, published in Amsterdam in 1648. In most copies of this book the plate is no longer present. As described in the play by Euripides Jason married Medea out of gratitude for her assistance in capturing the Golden Fleece from Medea’s father and for defeating King Pelias. She gave him two children. Ten years later Jason left Medea to marry princess Creusa. Medea got her revenge by soaking her wedding present, a coat for Creusa, in poison. She also killed the children and her father-in-law. Rembrandt pictures the wedding ceremony, surprisingly in a typical Dutch church, not a classical temple. It is one of the few etchings in which a large architectural entity is shown, covering two-thirds of the print.
The goddess Juno is visible on the far right, with a peacock beside her. King Creon, the father of Creusa, can be seen in the first row of visitors. Medea is hiding behind the altar, drenched coat in her hand, the knife in the other hand, ready to kill the children.

Juno, the goddess of marriage and of the female gender in general, is visible on the far right. She is often pictured with a peacock beside her.

There is a copy (B) in the same direction by William Morley signed WM 1834 | Rembrandt (264 x 178 mm, WB 1).
There is a copy in reverse (A) by Francesco Novelli (1791, his nr 5, two states, 229 x 175 mm6t, WB 2).

The etching is considered as special by Wilson.

The New Hollstein, as all other authors, lists five states, all contemporary.
In the 1^st state (R336-37) Juno, on the throne, wears a close plain cap.
In the 2^nd state (R338) Medea’s robe is lengthened by 3 mm, now reaching to approx. 9 mm from the bottom margin.
In the 3^rd state (R339) Juno’s cap is replaced by a small spiked crown
In the 4^th state verses and a signature are added in the bottom margin, probably by Six.
In the 5^th state 5 mm of the bottom, including the verses, are cut off. This state appears in some copies of the 2^nd edition of the book in 1679.

Of the 1st state at least 15 impressions are on Japanese paper.
Of the 2nd state there is only one impression, in the Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge).
Many impressions of 3rd state are also on Japanese paper.
Two books by Six containing the plates are in the Six Collection (Amsterdam), another in the Maatschappij voor Letterkunde (Leiden).

In the 1st state: Foolscap with five-pointed collar (1648);
In the 3rd state: Strasbourg lily (1648);
In the 4th state: Strasbourg lily (1648), Foolscap with five-pointed collar (1648 and 1650), Arms;

H 235, BB 48-E, G 124, M 286, Mz 270, RA 336-339, Cl 114, W 116, Bl 82, Du 113, CD 187, S 58.
P.Leendertz in Oud Holland 1923-24, p. 68; Bredius in Oud Holland xxvii p. 111; Jan Six in Onze Kunst, 1911; Mitteilungen für vervielfältigende Kunst, 1910, p. 41; Rohde 2005, p. 115; Hinterding 2006, p. 281; Hinterding 2008, p. 238ff;

New Hollstein/White-Boon: 4th state of V
A good, early impression before the removal of the verses.
Sheet 252 x 190 mm, margins of 6 to 7 mm all around (+13%).
Watermark: Foolscap with five-pointed collar (cf A&F), dated to ca 1650 (Hinterding 2006, p. 281). Deep vertical chain lines at 25 mm.

Rembrandt in Zwart-Wit, Het Markiezenhof (Bergen op Zoom), Stedelijk Museum Zutphen, Het Hannemahuis (Harlingen), Museum Gouda, Jan ten Horne Museum (Weert), Stadsmuseum Harderwijk, August 2013-August 2015; Stedelijk Museum Vianen, October 2017 – January 2018;
Rembrandt in Black & White, Bozar Expo (Brussels), Chateau des Penthes (Geneva), November 2015 – September 2016;
Rembrandt, fotograaf avant-la-lettre, Museum De Reede (Antwerp), January – May 2023;
Rembrandt, 17th century photographer, Daegu Art Museum (Korea), November 2023 – March 2024;
Rembrandt, de fotograaf, Westfries Museum (Hoorn), June 2024 – January 2025;