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Sheet with two studies for 'Saint John the Baptist' (recto)
Maker
(artist)
1606-1669
1606-1669
Title
Sheet with two studies for 'Saint John the Baptist' (recto)
Date of Production
(circa) 1633 - 1634
Medium
red chalk (recto and verso) on laid paper, seemingly prepared with uneven light brown washes
Dimensions
Height: 17.5 cm
Width: 18.8 cm
Width: 18.8 cm
Accession Number
D.1978.PG.182
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
The most ambitious painting of Rembrandt’s early career was the 'Preaching of St. John' (Berlin, Gemäldegalerie), from c. 1634-35. It includes approximately one hundred figures gathering around the Baptist, the ascetic visionary announcing Christ as the Messiah. This impressive and swift study focuses on the figure of the preaching saint. Rembrandt’s primary interest here is in the passionate gesture of the ardent saint, reaching out to the listening crowd.
Notes
Martin Royalton-Kisch (BM) says this is an authentic drawing by Rembrandt as it is a sketch for the figure of St John the Baptist in the grisaille of St John the Baptist Preaching, now in Berlin, of c.1633-34 (see his entry in his revised edition of Benesch online: http://rembrandtcatalogue.net/catalogue/4571883574). He suggests the verso is possibly from the same figure, though Peter Schatborn believes it is a girl. Schatborn included it in his 2019 catalogue and dated it circa 1635.
Provenance
Captain Edward George Spencer-Churchill (1887-1920) (according to Benesch); Mrs H. Frohlich (? perhaps a typo in Colnaghi's archive book, as for other drawings they record Mrs Frohlich's first initial as "L"); purchased from her by Colnaghi (London), 15 July 1959; purchased there by Count Antoine Seilern, London (1901-1978), 17 July 1959 (£280); Princes Gate Bequest 1978
Exhibition History
Drawings for paintings in the Age of Rembrandt, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 02/10/2016-02/01/2017; Fondation Custodia, Frits Lugt, Paris, 03/02/2017-07/05/2017
Special Display - Rembrandt drawings, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 22/02/2007-03/06/2007
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 02/07/1983-25/09/1983
Special Display - Rembrandt drawings, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 22/02/2007-03/06/2007
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
p. 17
cat. D26 (recto) and D27 (verso) on p. 49
dated c. 1635
Drawings for Paintings in the Age of Rembrandt, National Gallery of Art Washington; Fondation Custodia, Paris, 2016-2017
cat. no. 62
p. 161
fig. 62 (recto and verso) on p. 163
entry author: Peter Schaborn
Bruyn, J. and B. Haak, S.H. Levie, P.J.J. van Thiel and E. van de Wetering, A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings, The Hague, Boston and London 1982-2015
vol. III (1989), p. 83
fig. 13 (recto) on p. 83
argue this done before the aoil as underpaint suggests his pose never altered ...More
Royalton-Kisch, Martin and Peter Schatborn, 'The Core Group of Rembrandt Drawings, II: The List' in 'Master Drawings', Autumn 2011 - pp. 323-346; 49, 3
no. 26 on p. 331
figs. 101 (recto) and 102 (verso) on p. 331
Royalton-Kisch, Martin, Catalogue of drawings by Rembrandt and his school. Online research catalogue. https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/publications/online_research_catalogues/rembrandt_drawings/drawings_by_rembrandt.aspx, 2010
under no. 13
Bevers, Holm, Rembrandt. Die Zeichnungen im Berliner Kupferstichkabinett. Kritischer Katalog, Ostfildern and Berlin 2006
p. 60 under no. 11
Royalton-Kisch, Martin, Drawings by Rembrandt and his circle in the British Museum, London 1992
p. 65 under no. 16
Royalton-Kisch, Martin, ‘Rembrandt’s Drawing of the Entombment over the Raising of Lazarus’ in 'Master Drawings', 1991 - pp. 263-83 (addenda pub. vol. XXX 1992 pp. 336-7); XXIX
p. 278
fig. 12 (recto) on p. 277
as a documentary drawing
Rembrandt. The Master and his Workshop. Drawings and Etchings, Kupferstichkabinett SMPK at the Altes Museum, Berlin; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; National Gallery, London 1991-92
p. 42
fig. 7f on p. 42
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, Courtauld Galllery, 1983
cat. no. 7
Seilern, Count Antoine, Corrigenda and Addenda to the Catalogue of paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, London 1971
no. 182
Bredius, A., revised by H. Gerson, Rembrandt. The complete Edition of the Paintings, 1969
p. 606 under no. 555
Regteren Altena, I.Q. van, Review of Seilern's 1961 catalogue, vol. III in 'Oud-Holland', 1964; LXXIX
pp. 184-86
Benesch, Otto, ‘Neuentdeckte Zeichnungen von Rembrandt’ in 'Jahrbuch der Berliner Museen', 1964; VI
pp. 118-19
fig. 16
1970 reprint: pp. 54-55, fig. 228
Sumowski, Werner, 'Rembrandtzeichnungen' in 'Pantheon', Jul./Aug. 1964; XXII
p. 246n11
Seilern, Count Antoine, Paintings and drawings of Continental Schools other than Flemish and Italian at 56 Princes Gate, London SW7, London 1961; III
no. 182
pl. VII
dated c. 1635 or shortly after
Benesch, Otto, Corpus der Rembrandtzeichnungen, 1954-73
no. 142A
ill. (recto)
dated c. 1637
Royalton-Kisch, Martin, The drawings of Rembrandt: a revision of Otto Benesch's catalogue raisonné, rembrandtcatalogue.net ongoing
Benesch 0142A (posted 25 April 2013) and under 0135, 0136, 0140, 0141 and 0142
as a documentary drawing by Rembrandt, c. 1633-34 ...Less
p. 17
cat. D26 (recto) and D27 (verso) on p. 49
dated c. 1635
Drawings for Paintings in the Age of Rembrandt, National Gallery of Art Washington; Fondation Custodia, Paris, 2016-2017
cat. no. 62
p. 161
fig. 62 (recto and verso) on p. 163
entry author: Peter Schaborn
Bruyn, J. and B. Haak, S.H. Levie, P.J.J. van Thiel and E. van de Wetering, A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings, The Hague, Boston and London 1982-2015
vol. III (1989), p. 83
fig. 13 (recto) on p. 83
argue this done before the aoil as underpaint suggests his pose never altered ...More
Royalton-Kisch, Martin and Peter Schatborn, 'The Core Group of Rembrandt Drawings, II: The List' in 'Master Drawings', Autumn 2011 - pp. 323-346; 49, 3
no. 26 on p. 331
figs. 101 (recto) and 102 (verso) on p. 331
Royalton-Kisch, Martin, Catalogue of drawings by Rembrandt and his school. Online research catalogue. https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/publications/online_research_catalogues/rembrandt_drawings/drawings_by_rembrandt.aspx, 2010
under no. 13
Bevers, Holm, Rembrandt. Die Zeichnungen im Berliner Kupferstichkabinett. Kritischer Katalog, Ostfildern and Berlin 2006
p. 60 under no. 11
Royalton-Kisch, Martin, Drawings by Rembrandt and his circle in the British Museum, London 1992
p. 65 under no. 16
Royalton-Kisch, Martin, ‘Rembrandt’s Drawing of the Entombment over the Raising of Lazarus’ in 'Master Drawings', 1991 - pp. 263-83 (addenda pub. vol. XXX 1992 pp. 336-7); XXIX
p. 278
fig. 12 (recto) on p. 277
as a documentary drawing
Rembrandt. The Master and his Workshop. Drawings and Etchings, Kupferstichkabinett SMPK at the Altes Museum, Berlin; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; National Gallery, London 1991-92
p. 42
fig. 7f on p. 42
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, Courtauld Galllery, 1983
cat. no. 7
Seilern, Count Antoine, Corrigenda and Addenda to the Catalogue of paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, London 1971
no. 182
Bredius, A., revised by H. Gerson, Rembrandt. The complete Edition of the Paintings, 1969
p. 606 under no. 555
Regteren Altena, I.Q. van, Review of Seilern's 1961 catalogue, vol. III in 'Oud-Holland', 1964; LXXIX
pp. 184-86
Benesch, Otto, ‘Neuentdeckte Zeichnungen von Rembrandt’ in 'Jahrbuch der Berliner Museen', 1964; VI
pp. 118-19
fig. 16
1970 reprint: pp. 54-55, fig. 228
Sumowski, Werner, 'Rembrandtzeichnungen' in 'Pantheon', Jul./Aug. 1964; XXII
p. 246n11
Seilern, Count Antoine, Paintings and drawings of Continental Schools other than Flemish and Italian at 56 Princes Gate, London SW7, London 1961; III
no. 182
pl. VII
dated c. 1635 or shortly after
Benesch, Otto, Corpus der Rembrandtzeichnungen, 1954-73
no. 142A
ill. (recto)
dated c. 1637
Royalton-Kisch, Martin, The drawings of Rembrandt: a revision of Otto Benesch's catalogue raisonné, rembrandtcatalogue.net ongoing
Benesch 0142A (posted 25 April 2013) and under 0135, 0136, 0140, 0141 and 0142
as a documentary drawing by Rembrandt, c. 1633-34 ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: Watermark: Recto, left centre edge, fragment: upper half of a coat-of-arms containing a Basle crozier (as per inscription, of same type but not an exact match to Churchill 287 and 288 - dated 1633 and 1655; see also Heawood 1193-1203 - Dutch and German papers, first half of 17th century; see photo in file, 2.4 cm between chain lines).
Inscription: Verso: lower left, graphite, modern hand, last line hidden under handling edge and only partly legible but recorded by Seilern: "cf. BREDiUS Nr. 536 / Siehe Churchill Watermark No 287 / Baselstal Wassenmark in Amsterdam" and continued at right edge under handling edges: "offiziell nur 1630 kotiert"; lower right, graphite, erased: "[...] 49/ x". On the former mount (now removed and missing, recorded by Seilern): “S. Klass d. Kunst (1906) p. 44 / Paris [….] Lehman” (K.d.K. 1908, p. 112) / NY. Bass (Bredius, 542)”.
Collector's mark: none.
Inscription: Verso: lower left, graphite, modern hand, last line hidden under handling edge and only partly legible but recorded by Seilern: "cf. BREDiUS Nr. 536 / Siehe Churchill Watermark No 287 / Baselstal Wassenmark in Amsterdam" and continued at right edge under handling edges: "offiziell nur 1630 kotiert"; lower right, graphite, erased: "[...] 49/ x". On the former mount (now removed and missing, recorded by Seilern): “S. Klass d. Kunst (1906) p. 44 / Paris [….] Lehman” (K.d.K. 1908, p. 112) / NY. Bass (Bredius, 542)”.
Collector's mark: none.
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