Live Auction 22952The Sam Josefowitz Collection: Graphic Masterpieces by Rembrandt van Rijn
REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN (1606-1669)
Lot 49

REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN (1606-1669)

Man in an Arbour

Closed7 December 2023

Price Realised

GBP 17,640

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REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN (1606-1669)
Man in an Arbour
etching and drypoint
1642
on laid paper, without watermark
a very good impression of this rare, delicate portrait
printing very clearly, with a light plate tone
a narrow margin below, trimmed to the platemark elsewhere
in good condition
Plate 72 x 56 mm.
Sheet 73 x 57 mm.

Unidentified, stamped letter C or G recto (not in Lugt).
Richard Houlditch Jr. (before 1736-1759), London (Lugt 2214, recto); probably by descent by his father Richard Houlditch (circa 1659-1736) or bought from Arthur Pond (without mark, see Lugt 2038); probably in his sale, London, 2 February 1745.
Nathaniel Smith (circa 1738-1809), London (Lugt 2296, with his shop code AIEX and, possibly number N. 238 and price in brown ink verso); probably his posthumous sale, Thomas Dodd, London, 26 April 1809 (and following days), lot 974 (with others).
Heneage Finch, 4th and 5th Earls of Aylesford (1751-1812) (1786-1859), London and Packington Hall, Warwickshire (Lugt 58); sold with the entire collection to Woodburn in 1846.
With Samuel Woodburn (1786-1853), London (without his mark; see Lugt 2584).
With W. & G. Smith, London; acquired as part of the stock from the above; their sale, Sotheby's, London, 7-17 May 1849, lot 1324 (with another; 'fine from Lord Aylesford's collection') (£ 1.2; to Weber).
Hermann Weber (1817-1854), Cologne, Brussels & Bonn (without mark, see Lugt 1383); his posthumous sale, R. Weigel, Leipzig, 28 April 1856 (and following days), lot 366 ('Ancienne et superbe épreuve, les bords sales et raboteux. Fort rare') (Mk. 17).
Richard Dawnay, 10th Viscount Downe (1903-1965), Wykeham Abbey, Yorkshire (Lugt 719a); his posthumous sale, Sotheby's, London, 26 November 1970, lot 107 (£ 1,600; to Laube for Josefowitz).
Sam Josefowitz (Lugt 6094); acquired at the above sale; then by descent to the present owners.

Specialist note

The identity of the sitter for this small, rare etched portrait is not yet known. His attire and pose, with his arm resting on a balustrade, are reminiscent of the Self-Portrait leaning on a Stone Sill created three years earlier (see lot 10). Although the man's garments and the setting, with a row of books behind him, suggest some wealth and status, this portrait has none of the braggadocio of the self-portrait. With the lightly sketched surroundings, suggestive of a pillar overgrown with a blossoming climber, this print is much more romantic and pensive in mood.
Edmé-François Gersaint (1694-1750), Parisian dealer and the author of the first systematic catalogue of Rembrandt's etchings, published in 1751, listed this as the first of the ‘Portraits d’Hommes’, the genre he considered as Rembrandt’s most attractive and accomplished.