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Sheet of studies: head of the artist, beggar couple, heads of an old man and old woman, etc.

Sheet of studies: head of the artist, beggar couple, heads of an old man and old woman, etc.
 (1632)

Medium
etching
Measurements
10.2 × 9.8 cm (sheet, trimmed within platemark)
Catalogue/s Raisonné
Bartsch 363; Hind 90 ii/ii; White & Boon 363 ii/ii; NHD 115 ii/ii
Edition
2nd of 2 states
Accession Number
4873-3
Departments
International Prints / International Prints and Drawings
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Felton Bequest, 1933
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of the Joe White Bequest
Gallery location
17th Century & Flemish Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work

Throughout his career Rembrandt made a number of etchings emulating drawing sheets that combined separate studies in an informal composition. This type of drawing was highly prized by collectors, and it is now agreed that Rembrandt specifically made etchings in this manner to cater to this audience. It has been suggested, however, that this early etching was an experimental one that the artist did not release commercially. Only three known impressions of the first state survive, and it would appear, on the basis of watermarks, that the second state was only issued after the artist’s death.

Watermarks

Watermark Form
Horse and rider
 
The Horse and Rider watermark is originally found in Italian papers in the late 15th century. The watermark depicts an armoured man in tournament and the addition of the post horn, as seen in this paper, are found in papers from Holland and England during the later half of the 17th century.
Watermark and variant description
Horse and rider - variant A.b. Rider with one hand on the horse's neck, the other holding a horn.
Closely related watermark references
Heawood 2807-17 (1658-67); Wiener 22:3 (1640); Gaudriaud p 103.
Completeness
partial
Chain Line Interval
26 mm
Laid Line Frequency
10/cm
Placement and spacing of wires
? [26|26|26?]
Wire Side
verso
Radiograph taken from
verso