10 things to know about Rembrandt's etchings

Rembrandt would start by covering the copperplate with a mix of resin and beeswax. He then used a needle to draw into the wax, scratching it until the copper was visible again. Acid was then used to etch the lines into the copperplate. Once complete, he would ink the plate, cover it with a sheet of paper and pass them through a printing press together to transfer the image onto the paper.

The artist would sometimes make a drawing to prepare part of the composition. More often, however, he worked directly onto the copperplate, in small steps.

Some of Rembrandt’s etchings are self-portraits. In this one, we can see he is wearing his work clothes and busy making an etching. Looking at this unassuming scene, you could almost forget what a wonderful technique he is using.

A copperplate etching could be used multiple times to make prints, and Rembrandt would sometimes make changes to the plates between prints. Each version of the print is called a ‘state’. Together, all the different states tell the story of how the composition came about, and the techniques the artist used.

Rembrandt wanted to increase the sense of darkness in the stable. To achieve this, he added more lines to the copperplate. You can see this especially in the deepening of the shadow around Joseph – only his book and the faces of Mary and Jesus are still illuminated.

Darkening the image and repeatedly using the etching to make prints had consequences: the copperplate would get worn down, and the prints got lighter and lighter.

Rembrandt tried to solve this problem by adding lines and introducing new elements. See how in this etching he added a fence behind Joseph.

Some of the prints were small, but Rembrandt still managed to use them to depict powerful subjects and scenes. This etching shows the stoning of Saint Stephen, for example.

One inevitable characteristic of this printing process is that the printed image mirrors the image on the copperplate. Rembrandt usually didn’t take this into account in his etchings, but in this case he must have etched his name in reverse on the copperplate.

This woman is depicted in Rembrandt’s very first etchings. We think she may be Rembrandt’s mother. This etching is a very detailed study of her wrinkled face. In this 1628 version, she was 60 years old.