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Rembrandt van Rijn

Descent from the Cross by Torchlight, 1654

Description

Maker

Title

Descent from the Cross by Torchlight

Year

1654

Medium

Etching and drypoint on laid paper

Materials/Techniques

Materials

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

Identification

State

i/iv

Type

Credit

Gift of Mr. Henry D. Sharpe

Object Number

49.078

Projects & Publications

Publications

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Visions and Revisions

February 15 - August 4, 2019

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.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Descent from the Cross by Torchlight with the accession number of 49.078. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.