Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn

A very fine lifetime impression, still with traces of burr, films of light ink tone left selectively on the plate to produce dramatic contrasts and the sulphur tints strong. Before the small cross in the lower left corner and the reworked white areas in the upper margin. With a fine margin around the plate edge. In a broad beam of light, a dove surrounded by a halo floats above Anna as the embodiment of the Holy Spirit, announcing the praise of God and the redemption of Israel to the assembled people (Luke 2:22-40). This scene once again demonstrates Rembrandt's unconventional interpretation of the Bible, according to which the Holy Spirit was with Simeon. Simeon holds the Christ Child in his arms and prophesies the fate of the people of Israel, Christ and the Virgin. He appears together with those standing around him – only Joseph, who is carrying the two sacrificial animals, remains in shadow. Rembrandt worked on his face in the second state using drypoint – a technique that the artist first used systematically in his etchings from around 1640 to create deep dark areas. The lower left corner backed with fine paper. Verso with small brown spots, which do not show through on the recto. With a restored horizontal crease in the upper third of the image. Two small paper repairs on the lower edge. Vertical, smoothed crease marks on the reverse. Traces and remnants of a former mounting on the reverse, otherwise in good condition.