Artwork Historical past Information: Rembrandt at Public sale II

Measuring simply 6 ½ by 8 ⅜ inches (16 x 21cm), Abraham and the Angels is a profoundly lovely, gem-like portray on panel from 1646 that stands among the many best works by Rembrandt ever to come back to public sale. The portray final appeared at public sale in London in 1848, when it bought for £64, and returns to the block this January with an estimate of $20/30 million. The work was not too long ago the principal topic of an exhibition on the Frick Museum in New York in 2017 devoted to Rembrandt’s depictions of Abraham from the Guide of Genesis.

Of the full 136 biblical work Rembrandt produced, the current work is considered one of solely 5 remaining in non-public palms, with the massive majority in distinguished museum collections. Amongst these biblical work, solely 29 depict Previous Testomony scenes, with the current panel representing considered one of solely two examples in non-public palms – the opposite being a portrait of King Uzziah stricken with Leprosy, which resides within the Devonshire Assortment at Chatsworth Home. As such, Sotheby’s January public sale of Abraham and the Angels marks an exceedingly uncommon alternative for collectors to amass a masterpiece of this vital topic by the artist.

Simply this summer season, Sotheby’s achieved a brand new public sale document for a self-portrait by Rembrandt when Self-portrait of the artist bought for $18.7 million in our London sale Rembrandt to Richter (July 2020). In December 2018, the Louvre Abu Dhabi acquired the artist’s work Head of a younger man, with clasped palms: Examine of the determine of Christ from a Sotheby’s London public sale for $12.1 million. The work, which was recognized as a Rembrandt within the Thirties, belongs to a collection of oil sketches known as his “Face of Jesus” group. Previous to that sale, the final biblical scene to look at public sale was Saint James the Larger from 1661, which bought for $25.8 million at Sotheby’s New York in 2007.

Whereas Rembrandt is essentially identified for his portraiture, these works have been only one facet of his creative expression. It’s, arguably, in his historic scenes – comprising mythological, biblical and allegorical scenes, along with landscapes – the place he discovered the liberty to specific himself, and to experiment extra freely. Painted in 1646, throughout an emotionally-turbulent but extremely productive interval of his life, Abraham and the Angels depicts the exact second when God, the principal supply of sunshine within the scene, reveals to Abraham that his aged spouse Sarah will bear him a son, Isaac, inside a yr. We will virtually make out the smile on the disbelieving Sarah’s face, as she leans out of the door to their home and overhears the proclamation of the Lord.

As is typical of the artist’s work of the 1640s, during which he moved away from the extremely Baroque idea of capturing probably the most dramatic occasion of a narrative, in favor of a extra delicate rendering worthy of considerate commentary, Rembrandt selected as an instance probably the most emotionally poignant second of the story – conveyed solely by gentle and a single, gently raised hand.

Along with being some of the well-documented work by Rembrandt in existence, this work additionally boasts an impeccable provenance, practically unbroken from the yr after its execution to the current day. Traceable to a transaction in Amsterdam in 1647 between Martin van den Broeck and Andries Ackersloot, the image has handed by way of the collections of plenty of notable figures together with: Rembrandt’s former pupil Ferdinand Bol; seventeenth century service provider and Amsterdam mayor Jan Six; and with the American expatriate painter Benjamin West. After passing by way of a number of different palms, together with the vital assortment of Sir Thomas Baring within the mid-Nineteenth century, the work entered the celebrated Pannwitz Assortment in Heemstede, later to be folded into the Aurora Belief – the place it had remained with the Pannwitz household for not less than 90 years. The portray has remained in the identical assortment because it was final bought privately in 2005.

The work has been publicly exhibited solely a handful of instances through the years, not too long ago showing in Rembrandt’s Journey: Painter, Draftsman, Etcher on the Museum of Positive Arts, Boston & The Artwork Institute of Chicago in 2004, on the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin in 2006, and most not too long ago as the topic of the Divine Encounter: Rembrandt’s Abraham and the Angels on the Frick Museum in New York Metropolis in 2017.

Christie’s Previous Masters December 7, 2017

Additional main highlights provided within the sale embody a portrait of Petronella Buys (1610-1670) by Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Leiden 1606-1669 Amsterdam) from the Assortment of The Late Commandant Paul Louis Weiller (estimate: £1.5-2.5 million). Dated 1635, this portray was executed at a time when Rembrandt was flourishing, having established himself as a exceptional portraitist, capable of seize likeness with better vigour and extra psychological depth than his rivals. The pendant to this image, a portrait of her husband Philips Lucasz, hangs within the Nationwide Gallery, London. The sale shall be on view at Christie’s London from 2 to 7 December 2017.

Christie’s Previous Grasp s Night Sale on 5 July 2018

Christ Introduced to The Individuals (‘Ecce Homo’) is taken into account to be amongst Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn’s (1606 – 1669) most vital achievements in any medium (estimate on request : within the area of $3 – 5million ) . One of many world’s most versatile, revolutionary, and influential artists, Rembrandt is seen by many as the best printmaker of any technology . Epitomizing an artist on the peak of his powers, each artistically and technically, this extr aordinary drypoint of 1655 dates from his t hird decade as a printmaker . Executed on a monumental scale, t he current work is considered one of solely eight identified impressions of the celebrated first state of this print and is the final identified instance in non-public palms . The opposite seven identified impressions of this state are in main museum collections : Kupferstichkabinett der Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, The British Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Artwork, The Ashmolean Museum, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Musée du Louvre (R othschild Assortment) and the Graphische Sammlung Albertina. Supplied from The Assortment of the l ate Samuel Josefowitz , it’s on public view at Christie’s New York till 5 Could ; happening view in Hong Kong from 24 to twenty-eight Could after which in London from 15 to twenty-eight June and 30 June to five July , forward of being provided on the market throughout Christie’s Basic Week in London, within the Previous Grasp s Night Sale on 5 July . 


A masterful work, Christ Introduced to The Individuals (‘Ecce Homo’) is a particularly bold work, in approach, materials and scale. The distinctive high quality of this impression highlights Rembrandt ’s subtle command of drypoint, a way which makes use of a pointy needle to scratch the design onto a copper plate. The wealthy, velvety line it creates is especially expressive, however few actually positive impressions are doable since printing flattens the tiny shards of copper (often known as ‘burr’) which maintain the ink. 

Impressions on unique papers have been extremely prized by collectors for his or her rarity, and by artist s for the way in which they held the ink; on this work Rembrandt used oriental paper, imported from Japan at nice exp ense by the East India Firm. 

World curiosity within the main Previous Masters continues to develop and Christie’s is proud to deliver this magnificent drypoint to the open market at such an auspicious tim e. Christie’s is the market chief for works by the artist, having set the world document value at public sale for Rembrandt when the oil 

 

Portrait of a person with arms akimbo bought for £20.2 million in 2009.