Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn

A very fine, sharp lifetime impression of New Hollstein's fist state (of three) with light tone in the upper and lower left corners; with narrow margins.
The etching is part of a series of six sheets depicting scenes from the childhood of Jesus. The spontaneous and seemingly fleeting strokes of the etching needle harmonise perfectly with the simplicity and intimacy of the scene depicted. Rembrandt avoids any form of exaggeration. Were it not for the arrangement of mother and child, which refers to a traditional biblical depiction, one might well imagine a scene from a peasant genre. Yet it is precisely this simple conception that lends the depiction its intense expressiveness. – Verso with traces of a former mounting. A tiny tear and crease at the lower left edge. The paper on the verso is slightly roughened due to a previous mounting. A vertical crease on the right edge of the verso; otherwise in very good condition.