Live Auction 7781Old Master Prints
Christie’s roundel
Lot 66

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn

A Clump of Trees with a Vista (B., Holl. 222; H. 263)

Closed8 December 2009

Price Realised

GBP 103,250

Considering selling a similar item?

Discover its value with a complimentary estimate from our specialists.

More Information

How to sell

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
A Clump of Trees with a Vista (B., Holl. 222; H. 263)
drypoint, 1652, watermark Strasbourg Lily (Hinterding E-a-b), a fine impression of this extremely rare print, second, final state, printing with much burr on the tree at right and elsewhere, with a light tone and many vertical polishing scratches in the sky, with 2-3 mm. margins on all sides, a short skilfully repaired tear at the lower sheet edge, the tip of the lower right corner skilfully made up, a few touches of grey wash, some pen and ink at the platemark, otherwise in good condition
P. 125 x 213 mm., S. 129 x 219 mm.

Leonard Gow; his sale, Christie's, London, May 31, 1937, lot 180 (£ 231,-, to Craddock).
With Colnaghi's, London (their stock no. C 11982 verso)
Gordon W. Nowell-Usticke, Christiansted, St. Croix, Virgin Islands; his sale, Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 31 October - 1 November, 1967, lot 92 ($ 13.000).

Specialist note

The first state of this magical print concentrates on the central stand of trees, done quickly in drypoint, probably outside. It seems almost to float, and is anchored only by a few sketchy lines and careful use of polishing scratches and surface tone. In the second state Rembrandt tightened the focus by reducing the plate horizontally below. He also completed the foliage and added the signature, work that was probably done in the studio.

'Using the same instrument throughout, the drypoint needle, he produced in this, probably his last landscape print, one of the great masterpieces of the medium.' (Christopher White, Rembrandt as an Etcher, London, 1969.)