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Woman scolding

Maker

(artist)
1606-1669

Title

Woman scolding

Date of Production

(circa) 1635 - 1636

Medium

pen and brown ink on laid paper

Dimensions

Height: 13.4 cm
Width: 9.9 cm

Accession Number

D.1978.PG.181

Mode of Acquisition

Count Antoine Seilern, bequest, 1978

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords





Label Text

This drawing shows Rembrandt’s versatile use of the pen. Delicate strokes describe the woman’s facial expression, whilst more vigorous lines serve to convey her emotional state through gesture and body language. Later changes, made in a darker ink, focus on the figure’s clenched hands and arms, heightening the impression of drama. The woman’s unusual hat suggests that she may be an actor, possibly a stock harridan type.

Provenance

John Rushout, Lord Northwick (1769-1859); his estate sale, Sotheby’s (London), 1-4 November 1920, lot 175 and 5-6 July 1921, lot 97 (pasted together with D.1978.PG.188); purchased there by Henry Scipio Reitlinger, Maidenhead (1882-1950); his estate sale, Sotheby's (London), 22 June 1954, lot 691 (still pasted together with D.1978.PG.188); purchased there by Colnaghi (London); purchased there by Count Antoine Seilern, London (1901-1978), 13 July 1954 (£650, for both); Princes Gate Bequest 1978

Exhibition History

Special Display - Rembrandt drawings, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 22/02/2007-03/06/2007

Rembrandt's Women, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh and Royal Academy of Arts, London, 08/06/2001-16/12/2001

Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 02/07/1983-25/09/1983

Literature

Schatborn, Peter and Erik Hinterding, Rembrandt: the complete drawings and etchings, Cologne: Taschen 2019
cat. D241 on p. 177

Rembrandt's Women, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh and Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2001
cat. no. 68
ill. on p. 147
dated c. 1635

Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, Courtauld Galllery, 1983
cat. no. 6 ...More

Stampfle, Felice, Rubens and Rembrandt in their century: Flemish & Dutch drawings of the 17th century from The Pierpont Morgan Library, New York 1979
p. 100 under no. 68

Seilern, Count Antoine, Corrigenda and Addenda to the Catalogue of paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, London 1971
no. 181

Regteren Altena, I.Q. van, Review of Seilern's 1961 catalogue, vol. III in 'Oud-Holland', 1964; LXXIX
p. 184
suggested this is an actor dressed up as a woman

Seilern, Count Antoine, Paintings and drawings of Continental Schools other than Flemish and Italian at 56 Princes Gate, London SW7, London 1961; III
no. 181
pl. VI
dated c. 1635 or somewhat later

Benesch, Otto, Corpus der Rembrandtzeichnungen, 1954-73
vol. II, no. 279
fig. 325
dated c. 1635

Benesch, O., Rembrandt. Werk und Forschung, Vienna 1935
p. 22

Henry Scipio Reitlinger, Old Master Drawings: a handbook for amateurs and collectors, London 1922
p. 144
pl. 35 (with D.1978.PG.188, as they were then pasted together)

Royalton-Kisch, Martin, The drawings of Rembrandt: a revision of Otto Benesch's catalogue raisonné, rembrandtcatalogue.net ongoing
Benesch 0279 (posted 5 August 2016)
Rembrandt, c. 1635 ...Less

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Collector's mark: none.

Inscription: Recto: lower right corner, brown ink, artist’s hand?, unclear: “no 2 [? Z?]” [Royalton-Kisch in his online catalogue suggested this is a paraphe similar to that on BM 1859,0806.72; however on the BM's online record, they suggest their inscription reads "Remb" and that there are similar inscriptions on several others - see notes field below. Under UV no extra ink appears that could render this closer to approximating "Remb" as on the BM drawing. Seilern 1961 also believed this to be the initial letter "R" of a false Rembrandt signature. The 2001 'Rembrandt's Women' catalogue suggests this mark could relate to Jan van de Cappelle's album of Rembrandt drawings depicting the lives of women and children].

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