Rembrandt and His Circle: Drawings and Prints

Rembrandt and His Circle: Drawings and Prints is a digital edition of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, volume 64, number 1, Summer 2006. This PDF publication focuses on works on paper by Rembrandt van Rijn and artists from his immediate circle. Available as an instant download, it brings the museum’s collection into your personal library.

Written by Michiel C. Plomp, this bulletin draws on the results of the 1995 exhibition “Rembrandt/Not Rembrandt” while giving added attention to Rembrandt’s pupils and other artists in his orbit. The anniversary of Rembrandt’s four-hundredth birthday provided the occasion to bring his best drawings and prints out of storage.

Book Overview

This issue of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 64, no. 1 (Summer, 2006), surveys the museum’s holdings of drawings and prints by Rembrandt and his circle. It considers the early European reputation of Rembrandt’s etchings, the private purpose of most of his drawings, and the role of his pupils in producing works closely tied to his style.

The text also traces how the Metropolitan’s collection was built through major gifts and bequests, from George Coe Graves in 1920 to the 2005 bequest of Study Sheet with Three Women and a Boy. Reproductions illustrate key sheets and prints discussed in the essay.

What You’ll Discover Inside

• Contemporary praise for Rembrandt’s prints, including comments from Guercino, John Evelyn, and Michel de Marolles.
• An account of how Rembrandt’s drawings remained largely private until 1656–58, when parts of his art collection were sold.
• The history of the Metropolitan Museum’s Rembrandt collection, with gifts from Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, Felix M. Warburg, and others.
• Consideration of drawings by Rembrandt’s pupils, including Ferdinand Bol, Lambert Doomer, Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, and Nicolaes Maes.
• The role of recent acquisitions and the continuing reattribution of works within the master’s oeuvre.

Why This Book Matters

Rembrandt van Rijn’s four-hundredth birthday in 2006 was commemorated in exhibitions across Europe and the United States. This bulletin participates in that observance while focusing solely on drawings and prints, which cannot remain on permanent display because of their sensitivity to light.

The essay emphasizes connoisseurship and the work of Rembrandt’s pupils, offering perspective on an area that has received serious scholarly investigation only in recent decades. It is a useful resource for readers interested in Dutch art, old master drawings, and the history of the Metropolitan Museum’s collection.

Book Details

Device Compatibility

This is a digital download. No physical copy will be shipped, and access is available after purchase. The PDF can be read on tablets, desktop computers, smartphones, Kindle apps, and other compatible reading applications.

FAQ

How do I access my purchase? The PDF download is available immediately after checkout through your account, and a link is included in your order confirmation.

Is this a physical book? No. This is a digital download, so there is no shipping.

Which devices are compatible? The PDF works with Kindle apps, tablets, desktop computers, mobile devices, and most reading apps.

Add this bulletin to your collection and study the drawings and prints of Rembrandt and his circle at your own pace.

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