Rembrandt's name is synonymous with fine art and a mastery of technique, but few realize that his impact on the art world has more to do with printmaking than his skills with a brush.  Sure his world-famous paintings like 'The Night Watch' and 'The Return of the Prodigal Son' will forever be studied and admired, but it was Rembrandt's remarkable innovations in the field of printmaking - specifically etching - that helped immortalize him.

Etching was first popularized in the 15th century, with artists such as Albrecht Durer employing the method.  The process has its origins in the armorer's trade, where it was used to add elaborate patterns to swords and armor, but it was later adopted to mass produce images on paper.  To produce an etching, a piece of metal known as a plate - initially iron, but later copper and zinc - is coated with a varnish called a 'ground'.  An image is then drawn into the varnish using a sharp tool and treated with an acid that eats away at the exposed metal creating fissures.  The depth and subsequent darkness of the fissures depend on the length of time the metal is exposed to the acid.  Ink applied to the cleaned plate settles into the etched lines and is then transferred to paper during the printing process, allowing multiple images to be created from a single plate.

Since most of the etching process is comparable to drawing on a sheet of paper, and the acid baths and printing could be handled by professionals, many artists found etching to be an easy and accessible printmaking process.  Rembrandt not only experimented with the materials used to create his prints, but he also reworked his imagery.  He was able to do this because of the nature of copper plates, which are comparatively soft and can be pounded or burnished so lines can be removed or added.

Rembrandt sometimes spent years working on a single plate, making prints from the plate between various changes. These changes - referred to as 'states' - offer a rare glimpse into the artist's creative process.  These states have been meticulously documented by Rembrandt scholars for centuries, in what are know as "catalogs raisonne" of his etchings.  The most recent publication includes photographs of each state.  These sources are referenced in the Park West descriptions for each etching and are the standard references used throughout the art world.  The combination of the various states of Rembrandt's prints, along with his distinctive printing techniques, created a sense of uniqueness in a method known for its mass production qualities.  This, in turn, helped increase the popularity and collectability of Rembrandt's etchings.

Collectors sought to acquire multiple examples of Rembrandt's images in order to capture the variations between different states.  Through this, a record of Rembrandt's creative process was captured and can be studied long into the future.  Rembrandt's importance to the history of etching cannot be overstated.  The over 300 etchings, engravings, and drypoints he created throughout his career helped influence generations of printmakers to come.

If you have any questions or would like to see additional photos, please send me a message via Ebay.  Thanks for your interest.