

•:; '■ 



FIGURE 14 



Detail of the etched copper plate for 

 Rembrandt's print, Christ sealed dis- 

 puting with the doctors. After Coppier. 

 p. 117. (Smithsonian photo 59395.) 



FIGURE 15 



Detail of Rembrandt's finished print. 

 Landscape with a hay barn and a flock oj 

 sheep, far right, showing drypoint 

 drawing of sheep and post. Enlarged 

 10 times. (Smithsonian photo 59388.) 



fairly strong; acid. The lines are relatively broad in 

 relation to their depth, a strong-acid eflfect. Further- 

 more, illustrations of some of Rembrandt's original 

 plates from this period show a similar broad line.-"' 

 In addition, in the photograph (figure 14) of at least 

 one of the plates there is seen a peculiarly ragged 

 line which is often caused by bubbles formed on the 

 plate by acid action.''" This appearance of bubbles is 

 characteristic only of the strong acids. Of the acid 

 formulae suggested by Bosse in 1645, only one — a 

 distillate of vitriol, saltpeter, and alum — appears to 

 be strong enough to produce the observed efifects.^' 

 Generally speaking, Rembrandt's later etchings show 

 evidence of stronger acid biting than his earlier work. 

 which has more of the characteristics of weak mor- 

 dants. ^^ Certainly, a strong acid would produce a 

 much speedier biting and bolder etched lines, pro- 

 viding him with a solid foundation for his fine drypoint 

 work, and enabling him to work continuously, with 

 a minimum of delay. 



Rembrandt's use of drypoint is, as Jakob Rosenberg 

 says, "the most important inno\'ation in Rembrandt's 

 mature graphic work."" After etching his skeletal 

 design on the plate, he went to work with his drypoint 

 needles — long, stiff, iron instruments — sharpened to a 

 fine point. An artist generally has se\eral available, 

 so that he does not have to stop and re-sharpen in the 

 course of his work. Rembrandt evidently went even 

 further and deliberately used dull needles to obtain 

 certain light line effects. 



When the finished print is compared with the 

 sketch of the etched lines alone, it can be seen how 

 vital the drypoint is to Rembrandt's whole conception. 

 The needle held \-ertically and slightly dulled, for 

 instance, produced the light shadings on the central 

 hillock at lower left. The sharp needle, held at an 

 angle, threw up the burr which printed as the rich 

 blacks on both sides of the hay barn, along the bank 

 of the stream, and on the road at left center. The 

 sheep and post at the far right were completely drawn 



104 



BULLETIN 250 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



