Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn

A very fine, atmospheric lifetime impression of the second state of this rare subject, featuring strong burr and strong sulphur tint in the sky. The farm buildings and meadow just behind the wheelbarrow are now shaded by diagonal hatching. Rembrandt's landscape etching depicts the milestone at Spieringshorn on the Spaarndammerdijk, marking the district where suspicious persons were detained and banished individuals were prohibited from staying. This obelisk, erected in 1624 after the city's expansion, is shown with a typical farmhouse of the region, though the additional farmhouse and church tower are Rembrandt's inventions. The artist's use of a semicircular upper edge—common in religious works—elevates this landscape, a genre typically ranked lower in artistic hierarchy. Thread margins; trimmed within the platemark at the lower right. – At the lower left edge, the paper slightly thinned and reinforced on verso. Verso with remnants of a former mounting. Otherwise in good condition.