Getting started with the collection:
The Circumcision in the Stable
Rembrandt van Rijn (mentioned on object), 1654
All of Rembrandt’s etchings are pulled from a copperplate. To make an etching, he would cover the plate with a mixture of resin and beeswax, then draw through that surface with a needle to expose the metal. The plate was immersed in acid, which ‘bites’ grooves in these exposed areas. When the plate was inked and put through a printing press with a sheet of paper, an impression of the design appears on the paper.
- Artwork typeprint
- Object numberRP-P-OB-299
- Dimensionsheight 95 mm x width 144 mm
- Physical characteristicsets