Around 1700 the plate was in the hands of an anonymous owner, who added a plus sign (3rd state). It later appeared in the sale of Pieter de Haan (1767, lot 12) and was sold via Fouquet to Claude-Henri Watelet (1718-1786). It then became part of the set of plates subsequently owned and used for printing Recueils by Pierre-François Basan (1723-1797), Henri-Louis Basan (his nr 1384), 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), where bought by the Rembrandthuis.

Luke 2: 25-38
Following an old Jewish tradition, the new-born Child is presented to the Elders in the temple, where Simeon and Hannah have been waiting for years. God promised Simeon he would not die before having seen the Messiah. Simeon immediately recognizes the Child as such and praises him.

We see Simeon kneeling with the Child. Joseph stands in the background, holding two doves that should be sacrificed according to the Jewish tradition. Mary is kneeling in front of Simeon, handing him the Child. Anna is standing left of the group, holding a walking stick. She raises her right arm in a gesture of benediction. The bundle of light, coming from the left, illuminates all major subjects. Note the dog in the lower left corner.

Note the dog in the lower left corner, looking at the painter instead of the new-born Child.

Apart from two other etchings (B 50 and B 51) Rembrandt made several paintings and drawings of the same subject, like one painting in the Kunsthalle in Hamburg (Corpus A12) and another in the Mauritshuis in The Hague (Corpus A34).

There is a drawing in the Amsterdam Museum (Benesch 486) and one in reverse dated about 1657/58 in the Boymans van Beuningen (Benesch 1032), although this drawing is often attributed to Gerbrand van den Eeckhout. Münz also points at a study of the prophetess Hannah, now in Dresden (HdG 316). Hind points at the similarity of some of the people to those at the Hundred Guilder Print (B 74).

There is one anonymous copy in reverse, signed Rembrandt f. 1639 (214 x 290 mm).

The etching is considered as special by Singer.

The New Hollstein lists five states, only the first two by Rembrandt. The 3rd state (+ sign) is ‘new’. Most authors list three states. Nowell-Usticke lists six states, from his 4th state there are later impressions by P.Basan, Basan, Jean, Bernard and Beaumont.
In the 1st state (R165) Simeon is bareheaded. A patch along the upper border remains without shading.
In the 2nd state (R166) Simeon wears a black skull cap. The patch at the upper border is still open. Joseph’s beard is shortened and shading is added to the robes of Simeon and the Virgin. In an intermediate 3rd state (only by Dutuit and NU) the bare patch is roughly filled in with diagonal shading. Joseph now wears a turban.
In the 3rd state (NH only) an anonymous owner added a plus sign in the lower left corner.
In the 4th state (NH/3rd state WB, R167, NU Basan) the bare patch is filled with horizontal shading and much additional work described by NU. This state is certainly not by Rembrandt.
In the 5th state (NH, NU Jean) the background is entirely reworked. Much extra shading on the cloak of the woman with the stick.
In the 6th state (NU only, Bernard and Beaumont) the entire plate seems to be rebitten.

Early impressions show sulphur tinting. There is a counterproof of the 2nd state in the Rijksmuseum.
The etching appears in the Recueil de Basan, impression fairly good (NU).

Hinterding states that in the 1st and 2nd state the Basilisk watermark appears, which was used in 1640-41. Based on this he assumes 1640 as the correct date.
Later versions of the 2nd state are printed on paper with a watermark dated after 1674, which makes the 3rd state to be not by Rembrandt.
1st state: Basilisk; Foolscap with five-pointed collar.
2nd state: Arms of Amsterdam; Basilisk; Foolscap with five-pointed collar; Paschal lamb; Strasburg bend.
4th state: Fleur-de-lis; Grapes; Words and miscellaneous.

H 162, BB 40-1, G 49, M 208, Mz 210, RA 165-167, Cl 53, W 54, Bl 22, Du 54, CD 49
Rembrandts passie, p. 72-74; Rembrandts engel 2006, p. 178; Hinterding 2006, p. 102-104; Hinterding 2008, p. 110ff; Rutgers/Standring 2018, p. 81, 87;

New Hollstein: 2nd state of V/White-Boon: 2nd state of III
A very good, contemporary impression showing considerable burr and a light veil of tone. The light patches at the top border clearly visible, the + sign not visible, indicating the 2nd state. A repaired tear of 35 mm in the upper left part.
Sheet 217 x 294 mm, margins of 2 mm all around (+3%).
No watermark, horizontal chain lines at 23 mm.

In the collection of Charles Delanglade (b 1870, Marseille, Lugt 660), his name stamp in purple ink verso.
In the collection of Dr. Edgar F. Paltzer (1910-1993, Basel) and Elisabeth Charlotte Boker (New York 1916-1990 Basel, Lugt 4262), their collector’s mark in black ink verso.

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; Stedelijk Museum Vianen, October 2017 – January 2018;
Rembrandt in Black & White, Chateau des Penthes (Geneva), June – October 2016;
Rembrandt, de fotograaf, Westfries Museum (Hoorn), June 2024 – January 2025