Signed in the plate lower right Rembrandt (barely visible).

A dark and richly printed 17th century / lifetime impression of Bartsch, Hind and Biorklund-Barnard’s only state, Usticke’s first state of three, of this rare etching, printed prior tot he addition of the heavy outline to the right edge of the candle flame. This etching is described by Nowell-Usticke as “a very uncommon print.”

In excellent condition, printed on a sheet with small margins all around. Collection in which comparable impressions can be found; Rijksprentenkabinet, Rijksumseum, Amsterdam; Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; Teylers Stichting, Haarlem; The British Museum, London; Pierpont Morgan Library, New York; Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. A copy of this etching was made in 1654 to illustrate the text 'Of the light of Wisdom in dark and bemuddled centuries' in J.P. Schabaelju's Emblamata Sacra. Rembrandt's philosopher must have been construed to be Hermes Trismegistus, 'a fair star and bright candle in a dark age.' As Gordon W. Nowell-Usticke points out in his 1967 catalogue raisonne Rembrandt Etchings: States and Values, This is a very uncommon print, and even more so in truly early impressions such as the one described above. The etching is dated to the same year as 'Saint Jerome in a Dark Chamber' (Bartsch 105) and also shows a scholar at his desk in a nearly totally dark study. As with all the 'night prints,' inking up the plate to achieve the right degree of density without clogging was a very difficult operation. This has been successfully achieved here, with the flickering light from the candle picking up highlights on the seated man, his book and the edge of the screen at the table end. The mesh of finely layered lines, discreetly drawn over with drypoint, builds up an extraordinary penumbra. No doubt this wore down very quickly, hence the scarcity of good impressions.

Bartsch 148; Hind 202; Biorklund-Barnard 42-6; Usticke 148 i/iii

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