The Adoration of the Shepherds: P.14974-R

Current Location: In storage

Titles

The Adoration of the Shepherds

Maker(s)

Printmaker: Bernard, Samuel
Painter: Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (After)

Entities

Description

After the painting which is now thought to be by a pupil of Rembrandt (1606-1669), (1646; National Gallery, London, NG47, bought in 1924). A scene in a barn with Mary at the right presenting the Christ child to a pair of kneeling shepherds. The heavily swaddled child is surrounded by a glow which lights up the faces of the central group, Joseph to the left of Mary and two women who hold up an older child so that he can see the baby. More shepherds enter from the left, one carrying a lantern, and a boy with a dog kneels at the far left.

Notes

History note: VanSittart gave 1,485 engravings to the Fitzwilliam Museum in 1879 and this mezzotint was probably included within this group. The number written in graphite on the verso presumably relates to some kind of count by curators at the time of the acquisition. See, for example, P.14973-R and P.14975-R.

Legal notes

Given by Augustus Arthur VanSittart, ?1879

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1879) by VanSittart, Augustus Arthur

Note

Mezzotint, printed in black ink on laid paper, in reverse. State III as described by David Alexander (Rembrandt in Eighteenth Century England, Appendix C, 29, p.123). Signed on the plate at lower right: 'Bernard'. Engraved in the lower margin: 'L'Ange ayant annoncé aux bergers la nativité du Sauveur ... Luc Ch .2 . v. 16 .' with publication details below: 'a Paris chez la veuve Chereau rue S.t Jacques ...'. Watermark of a pendant ?cross with letters ?'G' and ?'D'. Inscribed on the verso in pen and ink: 'VanSittart Collection'; in graphite at the centre in large script: '430' (See Notes); in graphite at lower left: 'W.20' and at centre: 'm 9'.

School or Style

French

Techniques used in production

Mezzotint

Identification numbers

Accession number: P.14974-R
Primary reference Number: 240022
Nagler (Künstler-Lexicon): 1.5
Alexander (Rembrandt): 29.III/III (p.123)
Charrington (Rembrandt): 29.III/III
Lugt: L.2479ter
Stable URI