The three crosses
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| The three crosses |
|---|
| Rembrandt van Rijn , 1653 |
| etching |
| 38.5 × 45 cm |
The three crosses is an etching by Rembrandt van Rijn . It dates from 1653 and is 38.5 centimeters high and 45 centimeters wide. It depicts the Calvary scene , a traditional theme of images, which Rembrandt approached and thus reinterpreted.
technology
In this etching, Rembrandt uses a drypoint and, from the third stage onwards, a grave stylus so as not to wear the plate too much when creating dark effects. Its technical execution in connection with the drama of the work give it an outstanding effect.
description
The first Anglo-Dutch War broke out in 1652. Doomsday mood spreads among the population. Rembrandt begins one of his famous works, “The Three Crosses” from 1653 in five states, in which he was able to impressively stage them with the execution of Jesus. The opening of the sky with the roar of thunder and a wall of rain appearing in a matter of seconds, which at the same time immerses the scenario in glistening light and thus causes people to flee, is represented here with virtuosity by Rembrandt. As if for a script, he drew the sequence of frequencies, a storm with an earthquake and the subsequent human reactions, escape. At the end he leaves Jesus standing in the rain with a totally soaked, self-dissolving loincloth and the governor Pontius Pilate with a shy look at Jesus. All appear in a new light, namely that of knowledge. Rembrandt sacrificed his etched plate for this depiction. He had to radically erase parts of a drawing and thus destroy its uniqueness in order to make room for the new story approach. He just left the three crosses and parts of people standing, which he sketched out into a new movement. With Rembrandt a movie was going on in his head. He often shared his stories with us in several states, so that a single selected sheet in its statement does not show the completeness of what Rembrandt meant. That is why it is important for collectors to know all the states in order to correctly interpret the story behind them.
Museums
The etching The Three Crosses has been preserved in several states that can be identified by small changes in the motif. There are also several prints of these. The etching is part of some collections. For example, it can be seen in the Museum Het Rembrandthuis , the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam , the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud , the British Museum and the Kupferstichkabinett Dresden .
Prices
The three crosses fetched high prices in the market compared to many of Rembrandt's etchings, which can only fetch a few hundred or thousand dollars. In 2006 the etching at the European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht at the art dealer David Tunick cost 1.4 million dollars. In 1983 it cost $ 425,000. And in 1968 the same sheet was still available at auction for $ 20,000. Another print fetched 361,000 euros in London in 1987. Other sheets of this etching fetched 800,000 euros in New York in 1990 and 317,000 euros in London in 1991.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Christian Tümpel: Rembrandt in self-testimonies and image documents . Rowohlt, Reinbek 1977. page 101.
- ↑ Maria Kreutzer: Rembrandt and the Bible. Etchings, drawings, comments . Reclam, Stuttgart 2003, p. 156 .
- ↑ Peter Dittmar: Rembrandt, affordable from March 26, 2006 in the world . Accessed December 28, 2008.
literature
- Christian Tümpel : Rembrandt . Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag, Reinbek 2006. ISBN 3-499-50691-2 .
- Christopher White: Rembrandt as an etcher . Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn. 1999, ISBN 0-300-07953-2 .