Rembrandt van Rijn

Descent from the Cross by Torchlight

Maker

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669)

Title

Descent from the Cross by Torchlight

Year

1654

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

etching, drypoint

Supports

Dimensions

Plate: 21.1 x 16.2 cm (8 5/16 x 6 3/8 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Lettered LL: "Rembrandt. f 1654"

Verso: stamped in blue with an unidentified collector's mark "AL" (Lugt 140b)

No watermark visible

Marks: Unidentified collector mark in blue ink on verso (Lugt 140b)
RISD Museum stamp in brown ink on verso

Identification

State

i/iv

Standard Reference Number

New Hollstein no. 286.i

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Mr. Henry D. Sharpe

Object Number

49.078

Type

Publications

Exhibition History

Visions and Revisions
Feb 15, 2019 – Aug 04, 2019

Label copy

A bright light pierces the deep shadows of night to reveal this dramatic, poignant scene. The dead body of Jesus, his foot still gruesomely nailed to the cross, is hoisted down by a group of followers. As one crowd member lifts his arms to receive the weight of the corpse, his hand catches the torchlight, puncturing the darkness.

Rembrandt was a master of chiaroscuro, or “dark manner” prints. He used lines and drypoint to build up areas of rich, velvety blacks from which partially lit figures emerge, creating a heightened atmosphere of mystery and drama.

Master Prints from the Permanent Collection
Jun 21, 1985 – Sep 08, 1985

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669)
Descent from the Cross by Torchlight, 1654
Etching and drypoint on laid paper
Plate: 21.1 x 16.2 cm (8 5/16 x 6 3/8 inches)
Gift of Mr. Henry D. Sharpe 49.078

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