Christie's: Graphic Masterpieces by Rembrandt van Rijn – Part II. 5 December 2024

LONDON – Building on the unprecedented success of the first sale from this fabled collection, Christie’s is pleased to present The Sam Josefowitz Collection: Graphic Masterpieces by Rembrandt van Rijn – Part II. Taking place on 5 December 2024 during Christie’s Classic Week, the auction will feature 90 fine and rare prints from this outstanding private collection. Rembrandt’s etchings were an enduring passion for the late Sam Josefowitz, whose collection of the Dutch master’s graphic works remains unparalleled by any other 20th-century collector.

The dedicated auction offers a compelling insight into Rembrandt’s masterful and experimental approach to printmaking, featuring a comprehensive selection of works encompassing his entire career: from the immediacy of his early self-portraits and studies of beggars, through the innovative depiction of Biblical scenes and landscapes, to his late years of the highly finished portraits of patrons and friends, studies of nudes, and one extremely rare erotic print. The collection includes several important masterpieces and many fine sheets whose historic provenance, in some cases, can be traced back to the 17th-century.

Tim Schmelcher, International Specialist, Prints and Multiples, Christie’s London: “We are delighted to present The Sam Josefowitz Collection: Graphic Masterpieces by Rembrandt van Rijn – Part II, following the remarkable success of last year’s sale. This collection stands as the finest private ensemble of Rembrandt’s graphic works, and its depth is truly unparalleled. Sam Josefowitz’s passion for Rembrandt’s prints was a lifelong pursuit, driven by the artist’s inventive techniques and profound humanity. This auction offers a rare opportunity to acquire some of Rembrandt’s most significant and elusive works, including masterpieces like The Three Crosses and the extremely rare The Monk in the Cornfield. These prints not only showcase Rembrandt’s technical brilliance but also his ability to evoke deep emotion and timeless narratives in the smallest of details. We are privileged to continue sharing Sam Josefowitz’s extraordinary vision with collectors around the world.”

Christ crucified between the two Thieves: 'The Three Crosses'  (1653) - this is Rembrandt’s most ambitious and demanding print, a tour de force of draftmanship and printmaking. The artist presents the narrative of the Passion of Christ at the decisive moment, scratching the dramatic scene directly into the copper plate. The impression, previously in the collection of Felix Somary, a renowned collector of prints by Rembrandt and Dürer, is a magnificent example of the fourth state: Rembrandt reworked the plate drastically from the previous state, depicting now a different scene of the narrative, the very instance in which Christ cries out, the moment of greatest drama, despair and chaos. The turmoil of light and darkness and the dramatic tones of the scene are rendered with the heavy vertical shading, with the drypoint a richly black, coal-like burr particularly pronounced and impressive in the Josefowitz impression.

Woman at the Bath with a Hat beside her  (1658) - of the ten prints Rembrandt created between 1658 and 1661, six depict nude or partially clothed women, a result of live drawing sessions likely attended by the artist. One of the most intimate examples is Woman at the Bath with a Hat beside her, where the black hat on the bench subtly hints at a male presence. The nude woman is seated frontally to the artist and the viewpoint is close to the spectator. The beauty of this etching lies not only in the figure’s pose but also in its open composition, the delicately worked plate, and the smooth Japan paper, which enhances the texture of her skin and the soft play of light on her body.

The Bridge at Klein Kostverloren on the Amstel ('Six's Bridge')  (1645) – one of Rembrandt’s most admired and rarest landscapes, almost opposite in style to the elaborate grandeur of his famous The Three Trees, Six’s Bridge is evidence of the artist’s ability to conjure up an image out of very little. Possibly executed (entirely or partly) en plein air, its pared-down composition and ‘unfinished’ look anticipate the approach later embraced by the French Impressionists and German Expressionists. With just a few lines, Rembrandt captures the expansive atmosphere of a bright summer’s day, while the low viewpoint, directional bridge, and perfectly placed spire between the trees create an elegant and harmonious composition.

The Monk in the Cornfield  (circa 1646) – this is one of the rarest works in Rembrandt's printed oeuvre, with only 18 known impressions, all but this one held in public collections. It has only appeared at auction once in the last thirty years. The rarity is undoubtedly due to their overtly erotic content: a copulating couple, a monk and a milkmaid, at the edge of a cornfield in summer, out of sight, as they believe, from any observers. While some impressions may have been destroyed out of moral inhibitions, The Monk in the Cornfield was never intended for a wider market, but only printed in small numbers for a close circle of friends and patrons.

Beggar seated on a Bank  (1630) - this engaging and expressive print has always been referred to as a Self-Portrait in disguise, combining two of Rembrandt’s preferred subjects of his early graphic works: himself and mendicants. The artist’s humanity and empathy towards destitute people couldn’t be more poignant: he literally put himself in their shoes and ragged clothes, a unique instance of ‘down-dressing’ in his printed oeuvre. The expression of fury in his face echoes his Self-Portrait open-mouthed, as if shouting: Bust (lot 2 in the sale). Formally, the etching stands out for its early use of light and shadow over descriptive lines, marking a new exploration of tonality in the artist’s early work.

Woman with the Arrow  (1661) - once belonging to Felix Somary, this is one of the rarest nudes in Rembrandt’s graphic oeuvre, and his penultimate print. The mysterious, evocative portrayal of a nude woman seen from behind, ambiguously holding an arrow, is the last of the six etchings of a nude or partially clothed woman the Dutch artist made between 1658 and 1661. The practice of nude drawing classes emerged in Amsterdam in the 17th century, among groups of like-minded artists and their pupils in their studios. The privacy of this setting led to a degree of naturalism in the depiction of the naked models and an informality entirely new in the history of art. The figure posing here turns her head to look at the face of a young man, partially obscured, gazing at her from the shadows, presumably one of Rembrandt's students.