Jacob's Ladder (1655, Met-Objekt 5400)
Original title: Jacob's Ladder
kurzbeschreibung
Rembrandt van Rijn's etching Jakob's Ladder dates to 1655 and survives in the second of four states. Worked in etching, engraving and drypoint, the sheet gathers several figures in an interior pierced by bright light.
Description
People crowd into a room whose open door lets in daylight. Two figures stand at the window, another sits on a chair, and a fourth rests in a woman's lap. The clothing belongs to the seventeenth century. Light entering from outside through the window casts shadows and gives the bodies volume.
Context
In his later years Rembrandt turned increasingly to biblical subjects. This etching joins a series of depictions of Jacob's Ladder drawn from Genesis 28. For his prints he was then testing various etching and drypoint methods, breaking new ground as he went.
Impact
A palpable interplay of light and dark shapes the sheet and calls up a mood both intimate and solemn. Fine lines and graded shading give the room depth; the effect comes close to painting.
Technique
Etched passages, engraving and drypoint complement one another and allow a broad range of tonal values. With drypoint Rembrandt achieved soft, velvety lines that bring figures and light vividly forward. The trimmed sheet measures 11.8 × 7.8 cm, which tightens the arrangement and emphasizes details.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)