Although most of Rembrandt's prints and drawings are rectangular, he occasionally used rounded formats including arched and oval shapes. He often began to etch his designs without a clear vision of the finishd product. He was experimental in his technique and he often made radical changes, including cutting the plate to improve the composition.
This print started out as a rectangular plate. He dated the first state of the plate in 1657. The following year, Rembrandt rounded the top of the plate, added more shading (for example, on the well), and redated the print 1658. Both dates are visible in the Art Center's impression.
The subject of this etching is an episode from the life of Christ, told in the Gospel of John. Jesus asks a woman of Samaria to give him a drink of water, they get into a long discussion, and he reveals to her that he is the Messiah.
This etching is a work from rather late in Rembrandt's career.
Exhibition History"The Well-Rounded Image," Des Moines Art Center, June 5 - July 25, 1999
"Masterworks on Paper: Fifteenth to Nineteenth Centuries," Des Moines Art Center, Oct. 10, 1998 - Jan. 24, 1999
"17th Century Dutch Prints by Rembrandt van Rijn and Adriaen van Ostade," Des Moines Art Center, Feb. 12 - May 15, 1994
"Allegories of Consciousness: Perfection in Printmaking Since the Renaissance," Des Moines Art Center, July 1 - Aug. 27, 1989
"European Prints from the Collection of the Des Moines Art Center," UNO Gallery, University of Nebraska, Omaha, Jan. 25 - Feb. 23, 1979
Published ReferencesWhite and Boon 70 iii/iii
Hind 294
AN UNCOMMON VISION: THE DES MOINES ART CENTER, Des Moines Art Center, 1998, ref. p.305, b/w ill. fig.4, p.300
"European Prints from the Collection of the Des Moines Art Center," UNO Gallery, University of Nebraska, Omaha, 1979, exh. brochure ref. p.4
