The Descent from the Cross: Second Plate, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1633, Art Institute of Chicago: Prints

The Descent from the Cross: Second Plate, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1633,Art Institute of Chicago: Prints and Drawings

Rembrandt’s Descent from the Cross is stylistically unusual and reproductive, unlike most of his prints, which were original designs rather than printed paintings. Rembrandt’s original oil was strongly influenced by an altarpiece of the same subject by Peter Paul Rubens. While Rembrandt likely had a hand in the making of this particular print, he was relatively inexperienced with printmaking on such a large scale, and therefore enlisted the help of engraver Jan van Vliet. This collaboration can be seen in Rembrandt’s spontaneous line and van Vliet’s heavy mechanical handling, particularly in terms of the facial expressions. Clarence Buckingham Collection
Size: 512 x 405 mm (image); 520 x 405 mm (sheet trimmed within plate mark)
Medium: Etching and burin on ivory laid paper

https://www.artic.edu/artworks/29116/