The ninetenth-century Durand re-works of Rembrandt etchings using the technical process of heliogravure is well documented.
Durand here re-created the original etching with drypoint of 1650. The signature and date, with the letter "d" and the number "6" reversed, are preserved at bottom left. The foreground with the boat was probably based on observations from life, but the landscape beyond, especially the large structure at left, is probably the result of Rembrandt's creativity and imagination. Unlike the vast majority of Rembrandt's other etchings, this one is devoid of people and/animals. Note also the way in which the slightly irregular curved top edge of the original plate is preserved.
CONDITION: Excellent condition - the print has been protected by its original tissue guard, which I have left in place. Margins intact, the platemark line clearly visible. A nice sharp impression with exquisite detail and excellent tonal contrast. Printed on "laid" paper, nicely age-toned. See photos. Published in 1880.
DIMENSIONS: The engraved area measures 8.3 x 10.7 centimetres; platemark area is 9.5 x 11.5 cms, plus wide and generous margins, so ideal for matting/framing should you choose to do so.
REFERENCE. Check it online against the "lifetime" Rembrandts in the Metropolitan Museum, New York ref. 20.46.8, and the Stadel Museum Frankfurt. ref. 5970D. (all of the major museums should have it) In the Library, you can check Hind 239; Bartsch 236; New Hollstein XVIII. 252 and many other catalogue raisonees of the etchings of Rembrandt.
Charles Amand Durand (1831-1905) developed the technical process of heliogravure in the 1860s. It was revolutionary, and was much admired by Georges Duplessis (1834-1899), Curator of the Prints Department of the National Library in Paris. The two men decided to collaborate on a lengthy project to re-create some of the Old Master prints in the French collection, particularly the etchings of Rembrandt; Duplessis provided the originals, in their early "lifetime" states, and Durand used them to meticulously recreate them. The results were first published in three volumes by Durand and Duplessis under the auspices (and with the total involvement) of the French National Library in 1873.The works proved so popular that subsequent editions were printed in France in the period to 1885.
There was a time when the print purists frowned on the work of Durand; but, as the supply of original "lifetime" items virtually dried up, collectors have come to realise that Durand's re-creations are the closest most of us will ever come to owning a Rembrandt etching. I suggest that potential buyers compare my offering here with a scan of one from the major museum collections, and form your own opinion. It may be that most people will be really impressed by the exactness of the work, and the way in which it retains both the technical skill and the creativity of the original masterpiece. The seal of approval of Amand Durand's work was when the major museums began to include it in their collections. I was quite surprised, for instance, to see that the British Museum began to acquire Durand's work as early as 1879.
Will be securely shipped (worldwide) using Royal Mail Tracked & Signed, for everybody's peace of mind.