Abraham and Isaac

Name: REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN (1606-1669)
Brand: Abraham and Isaac
Price: 18000.00 GBP
Availability: SoldOut

Price Realised GBP 22,680

Estimate

GBP 15,000 - GBP 25,000

Closed: 21 Mar 2025

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REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN (1606-1669)

Abraham and Isaac

Price Realised GBP 22,680

Closed: 21 Mar 2025

Price Realised GBP 22,680

Closed: 21 Mar 2025

Details Lot Essay Related Articles More from

REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN (1606-1669)
Abraham and Isaac
etching with engraving
1645
on laid paper, without watermark
a fine impression of the first state (of two)
printing very clearly, with good contrasts and a light plate tone in the lower subject
with thread margins at left and above, trimmed on the platemark but outside the borderline at right and below in very good condition
Plate 155 x 127 mm.
Sheet 157 x 128 mm.

Dr. Friedrich Andreas Lieberg (1898 - after 1965), Kassel, Milan, Buenos Aires (Lugt 1681ter); his posthumous sale, Kornfeld, Bern, 21 June 1979, lot 13 ('Ausgezeichneter, fein ausgewogener Frühdruck mit stark rauh zeichnenden Plattenkanten.') (CHF 10,000).
With P. & D. Colnaghi & Co., London (with their stocknumber C 24393 in pencil verso).

Bartsch, Hollstein 34; Hind 214; New Hollstein 224

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Lot Essay

The figure of Abraham, patriarch of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, from the Book of Genesis, appears repeatedly in Rembrandt’s graphic oeuvre, recurring almost every ten years throughout his career as a printmaker (for , ).
In the present etching, Rembrandt’s genius in depicting intimate yet crucial psychological moments is evident. The scene shows Abraham as he is about to explain his cruel predicament: to sacrifice his favourite son or to disobey God. The setting is a rocky ledge in the mountains of Moriah, a precipitous place, which conveys a sense of dread and impending drama.
Isaac, innocently and trustingly, holds a bundle of firewood. His face betrays no terror. He is yet unaware of his apparent destiny as the victim of the sacrifice. As if to receive his orders, he stands before his father, whose gestures reveal his dilemma: Abraham’s right hand is pressed to his heart, while his left points to the sky, expressing at once his love for his son and his obedience to God.
The background is executed in quite a loose and free manner, while the figures and their garments are intricately described and shaded with an elaborate system of lines and hatching. This lends them a chiseled, sculpted quality reminiscent of Mantegna's graphic style - certainly an influence on Rembrandt's printmaking in the later years.