“The Fourth Oriental Head” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.
The seventeenth-century Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn was known for his use of contrast and experimental brushwork in his stunning paintings, but many people would be hard-pressed to name more than one or two of his works. Now, thanks to the work of New York's Morgan Library and Museum, you can view almost 500 original Rembrandt etchings online for free.
The Morgan Library and Museum, which is celebrating its 100th year, has digitized “almost 500 images from the Morgan’s exceptional collection of Rembrandt etchings,” according to its website. Some of these etchings include self-portraits and sketches of scenes from the Bible, everyday life, and landscapes. They date from the late 1620s to the mid-1660s.
On its website, the library states, “Renowned in the history of printmaking, Rembrandt's etchings are famous for their dramatic intensity, penetrating psychology, and touching humanity.” These aspects of Rembrandt's work are as clear as day in his etchings, as the people in his portraits stare just to the side of the viewer with an intensely focused look in their eyes. Even his landscapes are striking and authentic, with trees drawn to stand out starkly against the sky and additional foliage carefully penciled in.
To view these etchings for yourself, you can go to the Morgan Library and Museum's website.
The Morgan Library and Museum recently uploaded nearly 500 Rembrandt etchings to their website, which are free for anyone to view.
“The Artist's Mother Seated” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.
“Peasant with his Hands Behind his Back” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.
These 500 etchings cover a wide variety of topics, from portraits of everyday people to expansive Biblical scenes.
“Christ Before Pilate” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.
“Sacrifice of Isaac” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.
“The Beheading of St. John the Baptist” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.
Landscape portraits are also common in the collection of etchings.
“The Three Trees” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.
“Cottage Beside a Canal with a View of Ouderkerk” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.
According to the Morgan's website, each of these etchings “are famous for their dramatic intensity, penetrating psychology, and touching humanity.”
“Nude Man Seated Before a Curtain” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.
“Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple” by Rembrandt van Rijn. Courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum.
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h/t: [Open Culture]
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