ATTRIBUTED TO REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN (Leiden 1606-1669 Amsterdam)

Benesch published this drawing as by Rembrandt (see Literature) and dated it to circa 1633 (op. cit., 1973). He compared the heavy penwork with that seen in four drawings with figures rendered in similar fashion (ibid., nos. 235, 242, 243 and 246, figs. 274, 286, 287, 288 and 291). While pointing out that the bleeding of the ink makes it difficult to fully confirm the attribution, Martin Royalton-Kisch is inclined to attribute the drawing to Rembrandt (op. cit.) based on comparison with a drawing showing The artist drawing from a model (recto); Joseph expounding the Prisoners' Dream (verso) as well as three other sheets (see Benesch, op. cit., 1973, nos. 235, 300, 423 and 778, figs. 275, 366, 509-510 and 980). Peter Schatborn on the other hand has raised doubts over the attribution to Rembrandt and did not include the drawing in the recently published catalogue of the artist’s drawings (P. Schatborn and E. Hinterding, Rembrandt. The Complete Drawings and Etchings, Cologne, 2019). Schatborn recently suggested that the drawing can be compared to a group of figure drawings executed with similar broad penwork which are now no longer considered to be by Rembrandt (Benesch, op. cit., 1973, nos. 209-212, figs. 244-248).

We are grateful to Peter Schatborn and Martin Royalton-Kisch for their assistance in cataloguing this drawing.