Current Location: In storage
Titles
The Mathematician
The Mathematician, a Scholar with Dividers and a Set Square at a Table in His Study Attended by a Pupil
Maker(s)
Printmaker:
McArdell, James
Painter:
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
(After)
Entities
Categories
Description
After the painting previously thought to be by Rembrandt but now attributed to School of Rembrandt, (1600-1700; Chequers Court, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Inv. No. 106). On the right, a standing male figure wearing a soft velvet cap and seen in profile facing left leans over a table holding a pair of dividers onto a manuscript with his right hand. He is watched by a younger man seated at the table to the left. A pair of globes are seen in the foreground to the 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 on the verso in graphite presumably relates to some kind of count by curators at the time of the acquisition. A curatorial annotation in the FM copy of Chaloner Smith (p.907) lists 'The Mathematican' as '202' and gives the Goodwin reference 'G G 213'.
Legal notes
Given by Augustus Arthur VanSittart, ?1879
Acquisition and important dates
Method of acquisition: Given
(1879)
by
VanSittart, Augustus Arthur
Dating
18th Century#
Circa
1740
-
Circa
1765
Note
Mezzotint, same direction. Lower edge of the inscription and platemark trimmed away. State after inscription. Engraved with title and artist's name in italics, closed roman uppercase and gothic lettering: 'The Mathematician / Done form the ORIGINAL PICTURE painted by REMBRANDT. / By James McArdell'. Inscribed on the verso in graphite: 'Vansittart Collection'; '311'. See also impressions of first and second states; P.5839-R and P.5922-R.
School or Style
Irish
Techniques used in production
Mezzotint
Identification numbers
Accession number: P.15028-R
Primary reference Number: 240090
Goodwin (McArdell): 213.II
Alexander (Rembrandt): 107.III/IV (p.135)
Charrington (Rembrandt): 107.III/IV (pp.84-5)
Chaloner Smith: undescribed (listed by annotation, p.907)
Stable URI
Audit data
Created: Thursday 9 January 2020
Updated: Wednesday 11 January 2023
Last processed: Thursday 7 December 2023
Associated departments & institutions
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Paintings, Drawings and Prints
