by-nc

Old woman with a large headdress

Maker

(artist)
1606-1669

Title

Old woman with a large headdress

Date of Production

(circa) 1640 - 1643

Medium

black chalk and charcoal on laid paper, with brown ink framing lines (examined under microscope)

Dimensions

Height: 13.8 cm
Width: 11 cm

Accession Number

D.1978.PG.191

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 study of an old woman was once believed to relate to a portrait in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, dated 1643. Today the painting is attributed to Rembrandt’s pupil Abraham van Dyck, whereas the drawing is still generally thought to be by the master. Whilst the black dry medium is used to briskly sketch the body, the soft texture of the ample head gear is evoked by smudging and the facial features are rendered in soft tones. This style seems more typical for Rembrandt in the 1630s than 40s.

Provenance

collected for Friedrich August II of Saxony (1797-1854), L.971, by Johann G.A. Frenzel (1782-1855); Frenzel's sale, Heinrich (Dresden), 7 August 1837, lot 17 (as Rembrandt's mother); in Dresden until after the Second World War (? according to the 1983 exhibition catalogue, but no evidence provided for this); Colnaghi (London); purchased there by Count Antoine Seilern, London (1901-1978), 25 August 1948 (along with D.1978.PG.192, £2,000 for both); Princes Gate Bequest 1978

Exhibition History

Drawings by Rembrandt and his Pupils, J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 08/12/2009-28/02/2010

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 ...More

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

Rembrandt, 1669/1969, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 13/09/1969-09/12/1969 ...Less

Literature

Schatborn, Peter and Erik Hinterding, Rembrandt: the complete drawings and etchings, Cologne: Taschen 2019
cat. D368 on p. 239

Drawings by Rembrandt and his Pupils, J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2009-10
cat. no. 27.1
p. 172
ill. on p. 170
as Rembrandt, dated c. 1640-43

Rembrandt's Women, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh and Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2001
cat. no. 89
as Rembrandt, dated c. 1640 ...More

Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, Courtauld Galllery, 1983
cat. no. 19

Seilern, Count Antoine, Corrigenda and Addenda to the Catalogue of paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, London 1971
no. 191

Bredius, A., revised by H. Gerson, Rembrandt. The complete Edition of the Paintings, 1969
p. 578 under no. 361
doubted authenticity, suggested both painting & drawing executed by Abraham van Dijck

Rembrandt, 1669/1969, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1969
cat. no. 50
ill.
proposed date c. 1637; the exhibition was meant to close 30 November but was extended

Sumowski, Werner, 'Rembrandt 1669/1969. Zur Amsterdamer Ausstellung' in 'Pantheon', Nov./Dec. 1969; XXVII, Heft 6
p. 469

Bauch, Kurt, Rembrandt Gemälde, Berlin 1966
p. 14 under no. 267

Slive, S., Drawings of Rembrandt, New York 1965
vol. I, no. 145

Seilern, Count Antoine, Paintings and drawings of Continental Schools other than Flemish and Italian at 56 Princes Gate, London SW7, London 1961; III
no. 191
pl. XVI
dated 1643

Benesch, Otto, Corpus der Rembrandtzeichnungen, 1954-73
vol. IV, no. 684 and under no. 685
fig. 822

Benesch, Otto, Rembrandt's selected drawings, London and Oxford 1947
no. 127

Benesch, O., Rembrandt. Werk und Forschung, Vienna 1935
p. 36

Valentiner, W.R., Rembrandt. Des Meisters Handzeichnungen. Klassiker der Kunst, Stuttgart and Berlin 1934; xxxi, vol. II
no. 727

Benesch, Otto, 'Unbekanntes und Verkanntes von Rembrandt' in 'Wallraf-Richartz Jahrbuch', 1933-34; N.F., II-III
pp. 303-04

Freise, K., K. Lilienfeld and H. Wichmann, Rembrandts Handzeichnungen iii, Staatliches Kupferstichkabinett und Sammlung Friedrich August II zu Dresden, 1925
no. 114
ill.

Neumann, Carl, Rembrandt: Handzeichnungen, Munich 1918
p. 5 notes
pl. 36

Lippmann, F., with the assistance of W. Bode, S. Colvin, F.S. Haden and J.P. Heseltine, Original Drawings by Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn reproduced in Phototype, four series, London, Paris and The Hague 1888-1911
1st series, part III, no. 140b
ill.

Saxl, F., 'Zu einigen Handzeichnungen Rembrandts' in 'Repertorium für Kunstwissenschaft', 1908; XXXI
p. 235, no. 140b

Hofstede de Groot, C., Die Handzeichnungen Rembrandts, Haarlem 1906
no. 306 and p. xxi

Bode, W. von, The complete work of Rembrandt, Paris 1900
vol. VI, p. 118 under no. 263 ...Less

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Inscription: Verso: upper right, graphite: "9."; lower left, graphite, modern hand: "H. d. G. [as in Hofstede de Groot] 306 / Rembrand." and lower right, graphite: "37I".

Collector's mark: Recto: lower right corner, stamped in black: Friedrich August II de Saxe (L.971).

Information on this object may be incomplete and will be updated as research progresses. We are particularly committed to addressing any discriminatory or offensive language and ideas that might be present in our records. To help improve this record, and to enquire about images of The Courtauld Gallery Collection, please email gallery.collectionsonline@courtauld.ac.ukFind out more about using and licensing our images.

____________________________

Buy a print from our collection