Tour: Rembrandt's Religious Etchings

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Overview

Rembrandt, one of the greatest interpreters of biblical stories, turned to the Bible as a source of inspiration for his etchings throughout his career, but particularly during the 1650s. He depicted not only scenes from the Old Testament and the Apocrypha but also stories found in the New Testament, particularly those centered on the life of Christ. He always demonstrated a remarkable empathy for the human dimension of these accounts, whatever their theological implications. Whether portraying Old Testament patriarchs such as Abraham at moments of spiritual crisis, the Holy Family at rest in a simple dwelling, or Christ preaching, Rembrandt transformed the written word into vividly compelling pictorial language. He made at least two print series, one devoted to the childhood of Christ and one with scenes from Christ’s life and resurrection, both of which are on view in this room.

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Captions

1.
1	Rembrandt van Rijn, Abraham Entertaining the Angels, 1656
2	Rembrandt van Rijn, Abraham's Sacrifice, 1655
3	Rembrandt van Rijn, David in Prayer, 1652
4	Rembrandt van Rijn, Jacob's Ladder, 1655
5	Rembrandt van Rijn, The Virgin and Child with the Cat and Snake, 1654
6	Rembrandt van Rijn, The Adoration of the Shepherds: with the Lamp, c. 1654
2.
7	Rembrandt van Rijn, The Flight into Egypt: Crossing a Brook, 1654
8	Rembrandt van Rijn, The Circumcision in the Stable, 1654
9	Rembrandt van Rijn, Christ Returning from the Temple with His Parents, 1654
10	Rembrandt van Rijn, Christ Preaching (La petite Tombe), c. 1652
11	Rembrandt van Rijn, Christ Preaching (The Hundred Guilder Print), c. 1643/1649
12	Rembrandt van Rijn, Saint Francis beneath a Tree Praying, 1657
3.
13	Rembrandt van Rijn, Christ and the Woman of Samaria: an Arched Print, 1658
14	Rembrandt van Rijn, Christ Crucified between the Two Thieves (The Three Crosses), 1653
15	Rembrandt van Rijn, The Entombment, c. 1654
16	Rembrandt van Rijn, The Entombment, c. 1654
17	Rembrandt van Rijn, Christ Appearing to the Apostles, 1656