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B 158

Sleeping puppy

  • French title:
    Le petit chien endormi
  • German title:
    Der schlafende Hund
  • Dutch title:
    Slapend hondje
  • New Hollstein:
    180
  • Rembrandt in Black & White:
    254

Etching and drypoint. Ca.1640,
Size: In the 1st state 64 x 105 mm, in the 2nd state 47 x 90 mm, in the 3rd state 39 x 81 mm.
Surface: in the 1st state 67 cm2 in the 2nd state 42 cm2, in the 3rd state 32 cm2
Not signed, not dated.

NH 180 – 3rd state of III

Zoom

Copper Plate

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

Rarity of impressions

  • In auctions (2000-2025): extremely rare                               Early: 4                                         ⦿⦿⦿⦿⦿⦿

  • In collections (New Hollstein – 2013): very rare                    Early: 36                                     ⦿⦿⦿⦿⦿⊙

  • Catalogue Nowell-Usticke (1967): RR+, a rare attractive little plate, light impression    ⦿⦿⦿⦿⊙⊙

Subject/Sitter

Based on the caring way Rembrandt has etched this ‘portrait’, one can only assume that the pet was his own.

Related

Rembrandt made a drawing of a watchdog sleeping in his doghouse (Benesch 455, now in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston), probably in the same period as this etching.
He also painted a sleeping dog in Joseph telling his dreams, now in the Rijksmuseum (Corpus A 66, Bredius 50).

Copies

Gersaint already noticed a very deceptive copy in the same direction (copy A) by Jacob Folkema (two states, 40 x 82 mm, WB), in which the shading on the belly is made of straight diagonal lines. Copy B is an anonymous copy in the same direction (38 x 81 mm).

Attributions and reviews

The etching is considered as special by De Claussin and Wilson.
The plate was made by a pupil according to Münz (Ferdinand Bol), Middleton and Seidlitz.
The plate is not by Rembrandt according to Rovinsky and Singer.

States

NH, like most authors, lists three states, Nowell-Usticke two trial proofs and two states, from his 2nd state there may be impressions by Watelet.
In the 1st state (NH, WB, R450/NU trial proof A) the plate is uncut.
In the 2nd state (NH, WB, R451/NU trial proof B) the plate is cut to 47 x 90 mm.
In the 3rd state (NH, WB, R452/NU 1st state) the plate is further cut. There is a light slanting patch in the upper right corner (NU).
In the 2nd state (NU Watelet?) the plate is skilfully retouched. The light patch in the upper right corner is now shaded.

Prints and collections

The only two impressions of the 1st state are in the British Museum and the Rothschild Collection (Paris).
The only impression of the 2nd state is also in the British Museum.

Watermarks

In the 1st state: Basel crosier (c. 1640).

Literature

H 174, BB 40-2, G 153, M 267, Mz 329, RA 450-452, Cl 155, W 155, Bl 352, Du 154, CD 263, S 67.
Hinterding 2008, p. 298ff;

Rembrandt in Black & White: 254

NH/WB: 3rd and final state
A good impression on laid paper.
Sheet 38/39 x 83 mm, cut at the platemark (+0%).
No watermark. One horizontal chain line.

Provenance

With Mayfair Kunst A.G. (Ira Gale), Zug. In the collection of Sam Josefowitz (Lugt 6094), acquired from the above in 1971.

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