Cleveland Museum of Art

Christ Preaching ('La Petite Tombe')

Rembrandt van Rijn

Date

c. 1652

Medium

etching, drypoint, and burin

Culture

Netherlands

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Rembrandt’s prints with biblical subject matter often focus on Christ’s relationships with ordinary people. Here, he depicted Christ preaching in a humble village, with onlookers ranging from distracted children to turbaned merchants. Rembrandt worked more prolifically in etching than any artist before him, using it for about 300 prints. This work demonstrates the draftsman-like, sketchy technique he brought to the medium. In this impression, he allowed ink to remain on the plate’s surface during printing to create the dramatic shadows in the background, producing a contrast to the spiritual glow of light emanating from Christ.

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