Live Auction 17352Old Master Prints
REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN (1606-1669)
Lot 267

REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN (1606-1669)

The Angel departing from the Family of Tobias

Closed10 December 2019

Price Realised

GBP 16,250

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REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN (1606-1669)
The Angel departing from the Family of Tobias
etching and drypoint, 1641, on laid paper, without watermark, a fine impression of New Hollstein's second state (of eight), printing with much burr, trimmed to or just outside the platemark, otherwise in very good condition, framed
Plate & Sheet 103 x 155 mm.

Unidentified, initial O or circle recto (Lugt 2923b).
Unidentified, initials V. SRS verso (not in Lugt).
Unidentified, paraphe in pencil verso.
With Douwes Fine Art, Amsterdam & London (their label on the backboard).

Specialist note

This particular moment in the story of Tobit presents a challenge for the artist choosing to depict it: as the angel Raphael reveals himself to the father and his son Tobias, they both bow their heads to the ground in fear. When they look up again, the Angel has disappeared. He is there one moment and gone the next. Inventively, Rembrandt only shows the soles of the feet of the Angel as he disappears out of the picture plane in a blaze of light. This fine impression of the second state perfectly captures this light effect, which is lost in later impressions, as well as the variety of sentiments of those present at this scene: humility in the figure of Tobias, gratitude in the figure of Tobit, and curiosity and startled amazement in the onlookers.