Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn

A very fine impression of New Hollstein's third (final) state before the diagonal slipped stroke across the signature. With fine burr in places and myriad light vertical wiping scratches in the sky (a "rainy sky") and a subtle, varied plate tone. Narrow margins. Listed in Nowell-Usticke with the note "RR—a very rare print".
This finely nuanced etching depicts a tranquil, harmoniously composed landscape, at the centre of which a simple, square tower serves as a focal point. On the left, huts nestle against a gentle slope, while a canal in the foreground draws the eye into the depth of the scene. On the right, another building emerges, surrounded by trees. A fence separates the foreground from the pictorial space, in front of which two seated figures lend the scene a contemplative, human dimension. This version is characterised by subtle revisions: Denser shading enhances the tower’s three-dimensionality, while the intensified hatching on the right horizon deepens the sense of space. With its rounded panel corners and finely balanced composition, the work combines technical precision with poetic sensitivity. – A tiny tear c. 1.5 cm long at the upper edge; otherwise in very good condition.