C. Hofstede de Groot
A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch Painters of the Seventeenth Century
Based on the Work of John Smith. Volume VI
Rembrandt
Rembrandt
Abraham and the three angels
1646
The Aurora Trust, New York
1a
RembrandtAbraham Entertaining the Angels
Signed below in the left centre, "Rembrandt f. 1646."
collection of August Janssen, Amsterdam
They sit, half reclining, round a covered table in front of his dwelling. The Lord in white sits, seen in full face, and makes a gesture as if speaking. The angel to the left raises a morsel to his lips; the other angel, with his back to the spectator, sits on the ground; his sleeves and under-garment are red. Abraham kneels to the right, listening to the word of the Lord. He holds a cup in his right hand, and a large jug with the lid half raised in his left. He wears a lilac-grey coat. In the open door to the right is Sarah. Small full-length figures. [Cf. 2.]
In the Stanley collection, Quantock Lodge.
In the possession of F. Müller and Co., Amsterdam.
In the collection of August Janssen, Amsterdam.
Attributed to Jan Victors
Abraham and the Three Angels
Hermitage, St. Petersburg
1b
RembrandtAbraham with the Angel
48½ inches by 64 inches
Canvas
Hermitage Palace, Petrograd
Bode 316 ; Dut. 2 ; Wb. 386 ; B.-HdG. 223. — He sits in the twilight, to the left of his house-door, at a round table covered with a white cloth. He is turned to the right. He has long white hair and beard, and wears a dark purple coat, lined with fur and adorned with gold buttons. He holds a knife in his right hand, which leans on the table; he stretches out his left hand to the dish, to carve the roast. He looks at the Lord, who, in the guise of the angel in the centre, is addressing him. The Lord, who is seen in profile, is beardless, with long fair hair, and wears a light yellow robe with bluish reflections in it; He gesticulates with outstretched hand. The nearer angel, seen from the back, has long hair, fair almost to whiteness, wears a white robe with gold ornaments, and has many-coloured win us. The third angel, behind the table and seen almost in full face, has black hair and a dark robe. They watch the effect of the Lord's words on Abraham. Beyond to the right is a dark, wooded landscape. In the house-door to the left is Sarah, who is turned to the left. Warm evening light. Three-quarter lengths, life size. Painted about 1636-37. Bode (iii. 194) says that the picture has been much repainted in part, and the drawing weak in many places, and timid handling as well as the somewhat unusual types appear to show that it was completed with the assistance of pupils. [Possibly identical with 1c.]
Etched by N. MossolofF in Les Rembrandts de l'Ermitage.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, pp. 264, 540 ; by Bode, pp. 480, 599 ; Dutuit, p. 38 ; Michel, pp. 338, 566 [258-9, 441].
Acquired by the Empress Catherine II.
In the Hermitage Palace, Petrograd, 1901 catalogue, No. 791.
Rembrandt?
The Departure of the Shunamite Woman
1640
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
5
RembrandtThe Dismissal of Hagar
15½ inches by 21 inches
Oak panel
Signed to the right at foot, "Rembrandt f. 1640"
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Sm. 3 ; Dut. 3 ; Wb. 269 ; B.-HdG. 240. — Hagar weeping, seated on an ass, rides out of an archway in the twilight. The young Ishmael leads the ass by a cord. Bright light from an unseen source falls on the woman's figure. In half-shadow to the left stands Abraham, speaking earnestly to her. To the right is Ishmael in a short hunting dress. All are in rich Oriental costume. In the background is a high building ; to the left is a view of a meadow with cattle. Small full-length figures. The picture was begun as a "Flight into Egypt," and afterwards altered to a "Dismissal of Hagar."
Mentioned by Vosmaer, p. 522 ; Dutuit, p. 49 ; Michel, p. 559 [433].
Exhibited at the British Institution, London, 1832, No. 28 ; at the Royal Academy Winter Exhibition, London, 1894, No. 95, and 1899, No. 49; at Amsterdam, 1878, No. 46.
Sales. — W. Fabricius, Haarlem, August 19, 1749 (Hoet, ii. 264), No. 12 (320 florins, Van Dijk).
Woodburn, London, 1818 (bought in).
In the collection of P. C. Crespigny, 1836 (Sm.).
In the collection of Constantine A. Ionides, first in London and then in Brighton ; bequeathed to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1904.
In the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1904 catalogue, No. 78.
Circle of Rembrandt
Abraham's Sacrifice
Alte Pinakothek, Munich
8
RembrandtAbraham's Sacrifice
77½ inches by 52 inches
Canvas
Signed to the right on the lower edge, "Rembrandt verandert en overgeschildert 1636"
Aeltere Pinakothek, Munich
Bode 104 ; Dut. 4* ; Wb. 98 ; B.-HdG. 208. — The same composition as in 9, with variations, the chief of which is in the pose of the angel ; here he flies from the back of the picture, on the right, and is seen foreshortened. The details of the accessories are brighter in colour. Isaac rests on a white instead of a dark piece of clothing. On the right the tree is seen more clearly and the brazier is wanting. To the left is added the ram with his horns caught in the thicket. Life size, full-length figures.
A sketch for the picture, in red and black chalk, is in the British Museum Print-room, HdG. 866.
Engraved in mezzotint by J. G. Raid.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, p. 507; Bode, pp. 431, 572; Dutuit, p. 30; Michel, pp. 208, 554 [159-60, 439].
In the Mannheim Gallery.
In the Aeltere Pinakothek, Munich, 1911 catalogue, No. 332.
Rembrandt
Abraham's Sacrifice
1635
Hermitage, St. Petersburg
9
RembrandtAbraham's Sacrifice
77 inches by 53 inches
Canvas
Signed on the left at foot, "Rembrandt f. 1635"
Hermitage Palace, Petrograd
Sm. 1 ; Bode 317; Dut. 4; Wb. 387 ; B.-HdG. 207. — He kneels, turning to his right, behind his son, who is bound and almost naked, and with his left hand presses the boy's head down on the wood-pile. The angel, appearing from the clouds to the left, seizes Abraham's right hand, which is extended for the sacrificial blow. The old man, turning round in amazement, drops his knife. He wears a dark purple coat and a bluish-green furred robe, with a silver- mounted sheath in his girdle. The angel, who has long fair curls, wears a loose shirt, and a blue cloak over his left arm. In the right background are a tree-trunk and a lighted brazier ; to the left is a rocky valley. Strong light falls from the left on the back and hands of the angel, on Abraham's face and Isaac's body. Life size, full-length figures.
For a replica with variations, see 8.
An old copy, formerly in the Cremer collection, Brussels, is in the collection of Sir Frederick Cook, Bart., Richmond. Another copy was in the sale : — Felix Ravaisson-Mollien, Paris, November 23, 1903, No. 87.
Engraved in mezzotint by J. G. Haid, 1767, and by J. Murphy, 1781 ; by Winkles ; in outline by J. Sanders ; in the Description de l'Ermitage, by F. Labenski, i. No. 4 ; in outline in Réveil, v. 302. Etched by N. Mossoloff in Les Rembrandts de l'Ermitage.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, pp. 152, 507 ; Bode, pp. 431 f, 599 ; Dutuit, p. 37; Michel, pp. 207, 566 [159, 441]; Waagen, The Hermitage Collection, p. 180.
Sale. — (Possibly) Amsterdam, September 16, 1760, No. 1 (100 florins, De Winter).
In the Walpole collection, Houghton Hall, 1767 catalogue, p. 88 [valued in 1779 at £300 according to Sm.] ; sold as a whole in 1779 to the Empress Catherine II.
In the Hermitage Palace, Petrograd, 1901 catalogue, No. 792.
Rembrandt
Jacob and the Angel
1659/60
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
13
RembrandtJacob Wrestling with the Angel
54½ inches by 46 inches
Canvas, cut down all round
Signed on the right at foot on an added piece cut from the picture, which was at first larger, " Rembrandt f. "
Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin
Sm. 14 ; Bode 30 ; Dut. 10 ; Wb. 17 ; B.-HdG. 410. — The angel, clad in a long coat of dull white, with outspread wings, puts his right leg and his left hand on either side of Jacob, and looks down at him with a calm smile. Jacob wears a brownish coat ; he is seen almost from the back, standing out dark against the angel. Brownish background. Life-sized figures. Painted about 1659.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, pp. 358, 560; Bode, pp. 511, 562; Dutuit, p. 26 ; Michel, pp. 446, 551 [346, 436].
Sale. — (Possibly) J. B. Horion, Brussels, September 1, 1788, No. 172 (102 florins, Loriol) — measuring 69 inches by 66 inches.
In the Solly collection, Berlin, 1821.
In the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin, 1911 catalogue, No. 828 ; it was there in 1836 [valued by Sm. at £525].
Rembrandt
Joseph Telling his Dreams
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
14
RembrandtJoseph Telling His Dreams
20 inches by 15 inches
Paper
Signed, "Rembrandt f. 163-"
J. Six van Hillegom, Amsterdam
Sm. 185 Bode 9; Dut. 11 ; Wb. 347 ; B.-HdG. 212. — He is in front of a canopied bed, in which his mother, half sitting up, listens attentively. His father, who looks at him with an anxious expression, is seated, turning half right, with his bearded head in profile ; he rests his left hand on his knee and his left foot on a low stool. The boy stands bareheaded, in profile to the right, wearing a short coat, and makes an emphatic gesture with his right hand. Three of his brothers sit at table on the extreme left ; two converse together and point derisively at Joseph. A fourth, with both hands resting on a stick, stands, bending forward and listening attentively. Behind him, another brother is listening. A younger brother, apparently Benjamin, stands somewhat higher, close to Joseph and to the brother standing next to him. To the right is a dog asleep. Small full-length figures. Grisaille. Painted about 1633.
A study in red chalk for Jacob, of 1631, was in the sale: — Mitchell, Frankfort-on-Main ; HdG. 1322.
Etched by Rembrandt in reverse with considerable variations, 1638 ; Bartsch 37 [Hind 160]. Etched also by Denon.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, pp. 168, 518 ; Bode, pp. 432, 558 ; Dutuit, p. 53 ; Michel, pp. 236, 565 [182, 440].
Sale. — W. Six, May 12, 1734, Amsterdam (84 florins, with pendant) — according to Sm. Hoet names no picture answering to the description. It might be identical with one of the three "grauwtjes" (grisailles), named under lot No. 174 by Hoet, i. 419, which were sold together (for 30 florins).
Prince de Carignan, Paris, July 30, 1742 (1101 francs, with No. 69).
Duc de Tallard, Paris, March 22, 1756, No. 157 (329 francs, Remy).
J. de Vos, Amsterdam, July 2, 1833 (1470 florins).
In the collection of J. Six van Hillegom, Amsterdam, 1900 catalogue, No. 124.
School of Rembrandt
Joseph's blood-stained coat is brought and shown to Jacob
c. 1650-55
Hermitage, St. Petersburg
16
RembrandtJoseph's Blood-Stained Coat
61½ inches by 67 inches — originally 51½ inches by 47 inches, but enlarged all round to make it a pendant to 121 (Petrograd)
Canvas
Signed at top to the left, "Rembrandt f. "
Hermitage Palace, Petrograd
Bode 318 ; Dut. 12 ; Wb. 388 ; B.-HdG. 340. — The aged Jacob, in a red coat, stands to the right, on a terrace. He is turned to the left and leans his elbow on the balustrade ; he raises his hands and stares at the blood-stained coat held out before him by a messenger in dull green, who kneels in front of him on the left. Behind the messenger stands a son in a brighter greyish-green costume ; he speaks to his father and makes a lively gesture with his hands. In the centre the youthful Benjamin plays with a bird. Half-length figures, life size. Painted about 1650.
Etched by N. Mossoloff in Les Rembrandts de l'Ermitage.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, p. 519; Bode, pp. 479, 599; Dutuit, p. 38; Michel, pp. 338, 566 [258, 441].
Sale. — An artist, Paris, 1773 (1160 francs).
In the Baudouin collection, Paris ; bought as a whole by the Empress Catherine II.
In the Hermitage Palace, Petrograd, 1901 catalogue, No. 793.
Rembrandt
Joseph accused by Potifar's wife
1655
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
17
RembrandtJoseph before Potiphar
44 inches by 34½ inches
Canvas
Signed above Joseph's cloak, "Rembrandt f. 1655"
Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin
Sm. 20; Bode 161 ; Dut. 15 ; Wb. 1 8 ; B.-HdG. 402. — Beside a large and richly ornamented bed, with a canopy and a bluish-green curtain that is drawn back, the wife of Potiphar sits in a purplish-red arm-chair to the right. She wears a dress of the colour of almond-blossom, trimmed with ermine. To the right, a little behind her, stands Potiphar in profile to the left ; he wears a golden yellow coat, a cuirass, a turban, and a sabre. The woman sets her foot on Joseph's bluish-grey cloak lying before her, and speaks excitedly to her husband, pointing at Joseph. He has a blue coat, and stands to the left, on the other side of the bed ; he looks upward and raises his hands in a gesture of entreaty. Small full-length figures.
An old copy is in the collection of T. B. Walker, Minneapolis.
Etched by K. Koepping.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, p. 570 ; Bode, pp. 483, 549, 581 ; Dutuit, p. 26 ; Michel, pp. 399, 551 [308, 436] ; Waagen, ii. 246.
Exhibited at the British Institution, London, 1824, No. 57 ; in the Royal Academy Winter Exhibition, London, 1877, No. 130.
Sales. — Lord Willoughby, London, 1820 (£189, Hickman and Carpenter).
Sir Thomas Lawrence, London, May 15, 1830 (£598 : 10s., Bone).
In the collection of Joseph Neeld, Grittleton House, 1836 (Sm.).
In the collection of Sir John Neeld.
In the possession of C. Sedelmeyer, Paris, "Catalogue of 300 Paintings," No. 141 ; sold by him in 1883 to the Berlin Museum.
In the , 1911 catalogue, No. 828H.
Rembrandt Workshop
Joseph accused by Potifar's wife
1655
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Mellon Collection
18
RembrandtJoseph before Potiphar
42 inches by 38½ inches
Canvas
Signed on the left at foot, "Rembrandt f. 1655 " — the last figure has been altered from a 4
Hermitage Palace, Petrograd
Sm. 21 and 22; Bode 319 ; Dut. 14 ; Wb. 389 ; B.-HdG. 401. — Beside a large canopied bed, with pillows and a greenish-blue curtain that is drawn back, the wife of Potiphar sits in a red arm-chair to the right. She wears a loose bright red gown, which she has thrown on carelessly. She speaks excitedly to her husband, who stands to the right, a little behind her. She sets her foot on Joseph's red cloak, lying on the floor, and rests her left hand on her bosom. With the right hand she points at Joseph, who stands to the left, on the far side of the bed. He looks down and clasps his hands. He has long fair hair, and wears a long robe with yellow and red stripes. Potiphar wears a yellow Oriental robe, a turban, and a curved sabre. Sunlight falls from the left, illumining most strongly the bed and the woman's figure. Small full-length figures.
Etched by Exshaw ; by Mossoloff in Les Rembrandts de l'Ermitage, and once again.
Mentioned by Vosraaer, p. 551 ; by Bode, pp. 508, 599; by Dutuit, p. 39 ; by Michel, pp. 399, 566 [308, 441].
Sale. — G. Hoet, The Hague, August 25, 1760 (Terw. 225), No. 44 (100 florins, Yver).
In the Gotzkowski collection, Berlin ; bought with the collection by the Empress Catherine II. for the Hermitage.
In the Hermitage Palace, Petrograd, 1901 catalogue, No. 794.
Rembrandt
Jacob Blessing Joseph's Sons
1656
Staatliche Museen, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Kassel
22
RembrandtJacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph
69½ inches by 83½ inches
Canvas
Signed to the left on the side of the bed, "Rembrandt f. 1656"
Cassel Gallery
Sm. 17 ; Bode 55 ; Dut. 9 ; Wb. 47 ; B.-HdG. 404. — The patriarch in bed is partly sitting up, supported by his son Joseph, who stands behind him a little to the right. He turns in profile to the right and is about to bless his grandchildren, who stand beside him to the right. Joseph, who wears a full and bright-coloured turban, gently lays his father's right hand on the fair curls of his elder son, who stands before the old man with his arms reverently crossed on his breast ; the dark-haired younger brother, beside him to the left, looks up. Jacob has a long and full grey beard ; he wears a yellowish-white cap and a bright-coloured cloak, and has a fox's fur round his shoulders. On the right, nearer the front, Joseph's wife stands beside her husband. She wears a dark greenish-brown dress with rich jewels, a bluish head-dress embroidered with gold, and a veil which covers part o'f her forehead and falls behind her. To left and right are dark curtains ; on the bed is a red coverlet. At the back is a brownish wall. Life-size figures, almost full length.
There are two pen-drawings of the subject, which were studies for this picture; one is in the Stockholm National Museum, HdG. 1544; the other is in the Amsterdam Print-room, HdG. 1161.
Etched by Claessens and Oortman in the Musee Franfais ; by J. de Frey in Filhol, vi. p. 374; by W. Unger and N. Mossoloff.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, pp. 343, 555 ; by Bode, pp. 509, 565 ; by Dutuit, p. 28 ; by Michel, pp. 422, 552 (307, 327-28, 437).
Acquired for Cassel in 1752 or a little later.
In the chief Cassel inventory of 1749, No. 731.
In the Louvre, Paris, 1806-1815.
In the Cassel Gallery, 1903 catalogue, No. 249 (old No. 227) [valued by Sm. in 1836 at £840].
Rembrandt workshop
The Finding of Moses
1630s
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia
The John G. Johnson Collection
23
RembrandtThe Finding of Moses
18½ inches by 23½ inches
Oval canvas
John G.Johnson, Philadelphia
Sm. 24; Bode 155; Dut. 17 j Wb. 2325 B.-HdG. 195. — Beside a secluded creek of the Nile, surrounded by tall trees, Pharaoh's daughter stands to the left with four attendant women on steps bounded by a low balustrade. They surround the cradle in which lies the infant Moses. While a negress behind her places a white drapery round her nude form, she looks with surprise at the child. The four attendants, who are either undraped or partly or wholly dressed, kneel beside the cradle, into which they look curiously ; a woman who is bathing comes hastily through the water from the right. On the balustrade, the bathers' dresses, green, blue, and brown, are spread out ; on them lies a large Eastern umbrella. In the left foreground are large water-plants. Golden evening light falls from the left on the group. Small full-length figures. Painted about 1635. The signature, now illegible, and the date 1656 on the wall to the left are by a later hand.
Pobably the picture was not oval originally, as a strip of canvas about 2½ inches wide seems to have been added later at the foot. The Crozat catalogue gives the size as 27 pouces by 32 pouces ; that is, 29 inches by 34½ inches.
A pen-drawing, which was a study for the picture, is in the collection of Dr. Hofstede de Groot, The Hague ; reproduced, HdG. 46.
Etched by Basan, 1771, in the " Choiseul Gallery," No. 41.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, pp. 117, 493 ; by Bode, pp. 453, 491, 581 ; by Dutuit, p. 47 ; by Michel, pp. 312, 555 [238, 433].
Exhibited at the British Institution, London, 1824, No. 93.
Sale. — Crozat, Paris, June 1751 (560 francs, Ledoux).
Duc de Choiscul, Paris, April 6, 1772, No. 12 (2031 francs, Boileau).
Prince de Conti, Paris, April 8, 1777, No. 284 (1400 francs, Langlier).
Boileau, Paris, March 4, 1782 (1200 francs).
Robert de Saint-Victor, Paris, November 26, 1822, No. 67 (2550 francs, according to Dutuit).
In the collection of Sir Robert Peel, Bart., Drayton Manor, 1836 (Sm.).
In the possession of the Paris dealer F. Kleinberger.
In the collection of John G.Johnson, Philadelphia, 1914 catalogue, No. 474.
Rembrandt
Moses Breaking the Tablets of the Law
1659
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
25
RembrandtMoses Breaking the Tables of the Law
66½ inches by 54 inches
Canvas
Signed on the right at foot, "Rembrandt f. 1659"
Sm. 25 ; Bode 29; Dut. 18 ; Wb. 23 ; B.-HdG. 409. — Moses wears a long dull white robe with a red girdle and a brownish cloak flowing behind him. He holds up in both hands the Tables of the Law, on which the Ten Commandments are inscribed in gold letters, and is about to fling them down. In the dark background are the cliffs of Sinai. Life-size figure, seen to the knees and in full face.
Etched by Krüger, 1770.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, pp. 358, 560 ; by Bode, pp. 511, 561 ; by Dutuit, p. 26 ; by Michel, pp. 446, 551 [346, 436].
In the Prussian Royal collection, Sans Souci, 1770.
In the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin, 1911 catalogue, No. 811.
Rembrandt
Balaam and the Ass
1626
Musée Cognacq-Jay, Paris
26
RembrandtThe Angel and the Prophet Ballaam
26 inches by 18½ inches
Oak panel
There are traces of a signature
Collection of the late Ferdinand Hermann, New York
The prophet, in an Eastern robe with a turban, sits, turned to the left, on the ass which has fallen down under him ; he strikes her with his staff. In a cloud behind him to the left appears the angel, with his sword lifted in his right hand. To the right behind Balaam are two men-servants ; beyond them are two horsemen, one of whom has the features of Rembrandt's father. In the distance is a high hill. In the right foreground are some large lettuces. The principal figure and the ass are taken from a drawing by Dirk Vellert in the Brunswick Print-room. Reproduced by N. Beets in Onze Kunst, 1912, p. 144. Painted about 1628.
In the collection of S. Maris, Amsterdam.
In the possession of the Amsterdam dealer J. Goudstikker.
In the collection of Gustav Ritter Hoschek von Mühlheim, Prague, 1907 catalogue, No. 101.
In the possession of the Paris dealer F. Kleinberger.
In the collection of the late Ferdinand Hermann, New York.
Rembrandt
Balaam and the Ass
1626
Musée Cognacq-Jay, Paris
26a
RembrandtThe Prophet Balaam
Sale. — Alphonso Lopez, Paris, mid-December 1641. Mentioned in a letter from Claude Vignon to François Langlois. See Hofstede de Groot, Urkunden über Rembrandt, No. 90.
Formerly attributed to Rembrandt
Manoah's Sacrifice
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden
27
RembrandtManoah's Sacrifice
96½ inches by 113 inches
Canvas
Signed at top to the right, "Rembrandt f. 1641"
Dresden Gallery
Sm. 35; Bode 76; Dut. 19; Wb. 71 ; B.-HdG. 243. — In the left foreground burns the sacrificial fire. Beside it in the middle Manoah kneels with clasped hands. He is seen almost in full face, has a full grey beard, and wears a deep purplish-red robe. Beside him, to the right, his wife kneels in profile to the left ; she has a light yellow robe with long white under-sleeves, and has drawn her red cloak over her gold-embroidered Jewish head-dress. Above, to the left, the angel in white, seen from the back, soars away. In the dark background is Manoah's house overgrown with vine. Full length, lifesize figures.
There are sketches in pen and ink and wash, more or less different, in the Print-rooms at Stockholm (reproduced by Lippmann, No. 128), Dresden (HdG. 202), Berlin (reproduced by Lippmann, No. 22), and Paris (HdG. 594), as well as in the collections of P. Mathey (reproduced by HdG. iii. 29) and A. E. Gathorne Hardy (HdG. 978).
Engraved by Jacobus Houbraken.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, pp. 215, 526 ; by Bode, pp. 444, 568 ; by Dutuit, p. 28 ; by Michel, pp. 267, 553 [205-6, 438].
In the Electoral collection, Dresden, since the time of Guarienti's inventory (before 1753).
In the Dresden Gallery, 1908 catalogue, No. 1563.
Rembrandt
The marriage of Samson
1638
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden
30
RembrandtSamson's Marriage Feast
50½ inches by 70 inches
Canvas
Signed in the centre at foot, "Rembrandt f. 1638"
Dresden Gallery
Bode 77 ; Dut. 20 ; Wb. 72 ; B.-HdG. 222. — The wedding guests recline or sit on couches, in the antique manner, round a banqueting table with a white linen cloth. In the centre behind the table the bride with serious face sits, somewhat raised up, in front of a curtain with a gold pattern. She wears a rich white gown, strongly lighted, with a short ermine cloak, several gold chains and strings of pearls, and has a coronet on her loosely flowing hair. She holds her hands clasped on her bosom. At her left sits Samson in a long white silk robe. He turns round to a group of six young Philistines, the players, who stand behind the couch with a light blue covering and listen attentively to the riddle which he propounds to them. One of them has Rembrandt's features j another in a dull blue robe holds a flute in front of him ; a third, in front and seen in profile, leans on his harp. In the left foreground a couple, seen from the back, are embracing and kissing ; the man in light green and the woman in dark green sit on a red drapery with a gold border. At the bride's right a girl in dull red turns away from the man in blue at her side, who presses her to take a shallow cup of wine. Near them, but farther to the left, a man with a turban and a high plume has risen and speaks vivaciously to several women at the left corner of the table. Behind them a waiting-woman goes away. In the right foreground is a gold flagon in a large wine-cooler. On the table in the centre is a large dish with a goblet in it. Bright light falls from above to the left on the bridal pair and the white tablecloth. Full-length figures, about half life size.
Etched by Ant. H. Riedel, 1814; by N. Mossoloff, 1875; and by L. Friedrich. Lithographed by Hanfstaengl.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, pp. 137, 157, etc., 517 ; by Bode, pp. 43 f., 568 ; by Dutuit, p. 28 ; by Michel, pp. 227, 553 [174-5, 438] ; by Phil. Angel, Lof der Schilderkunst, Leyden, 1642 ; and in De Bie's Gulden Cabinet, 1661, No. 361.
See also P. J. Frederiks, Oud Holland, vi. p. 120; and Hofstede de Groot, Urkunden über Rembrandt, Nos. 91, 159, 237.
In the Dresden inventory of 1722, A. 1144.
In the Dresden Gallery, 1908 catalogue, No. 1560.
Rembrandt
Samson threatening his father-in-law
1635
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
31
RembrandtSamson threatening His Father-in-law
62 inches by 51½ inches
Canvas
Signed on the right half-way up, on the base of a column, "Rembrandt ft. 163-" ; the last figure was worn off under the frame, and was probably a 5 or a 6
Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin
Sm. 1 66 ; Bode 28 ; Dut. 21 ; Wb. 19 ; B.-HdG. 2io. — In front of the entrance to a palace with moulded columns and pilasters, the iron-bound door of which is shut, Samson stands turned a little to the right. He raises his right fist threateningly at his father-in-law, who thrusts his head out of a window to the right. The father-in-law holds the window-shutter with his right hand, and makes a deprecating gesture with his left. He has a full beard and wears a red skull-cap. Samson, whose features recall those of the painter, has long and thick black hair falling on his shoulders and confined on the top of his head by a narrow gold circlet ; he has a heavy moustache and a stubbly beard. He wears a greenish-yellow coat with a flowered pattern, fastened by knots, a parti-coloured girdle in which his Eastern sword hangs on his right hip, and a heavy cloak over his left shoulder and his left arm, which is bent ; two negro boys seen to the left behind Samson hold up the end of the cloak. Bright light falls from above to the left on the upper part of Samson's figure and on the old man. Lifesize figures, seen to the knees. It was once entitled, inaccurately : "Duke Adolphus of Guelders holding his old father Arnoud captive."
There were replicas at Glendon Hall (Sm. 167) and at Hamilton Palace, 1854 (Waagcn, iii. 462, 308) ; the Hamilton Palace version was in the sale, 1882, No. 1034, and its present whereabouts are unknown.
Etched by G. F. Schmidt, 1756; by Leader, 1765 ; by D. Berger, the younger, 1767 ; by Oortman, 1809 ; by Berdini in the Musee Napoleon and in Réveil.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, pp. 153, 507 ; by Bode, pp. 429, etc., and 561 ; by Dutuit, p. 25 ; by Michel, pp. 219, 551 [168-9, 436].
According to the Berlin catalogue it was inherited from the House of Orange in 1676, meaning that it was part of the estate of Amalia von Solms, wife of Prince Frederick Henry of Orange-Nassau. But against this is the fact that the picture is not mentioned either in the inventories of that Princess nor in the lists showing the division of her property.
In the Prussian Royal Palace, Potsdam, 1786; see Nicolai, Beschreibung von Berlin, iii. 1209.
In the Royal Gallery, Berlin, from 1830.
In the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin, 1911 catalogue, No. 802.
Rembrandt
Samson and Delila
1628
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
32
RembrandtSamson in the Lap of Delilah
24 inches by 19 inches
Oak panel
Signed to the left on the step with the monogram, "RHL 1628"
Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin
Bode 41 ; Dut. 22 ; VVb. 32 ; B.-HdG. 6. — On the floor in front Samson, with his back to the spectator, lies asleep ; his head is in the lap of Delilah, who sits upon a step. He wears a sulphur-yellow coat confined by a parti-coloured girdle to the end of which is fastened a yataghan. Delilah, in a violet-blue dress with a wide border which has a pattern of large blue flowers on a gold ground, holds up in her right hand some of Samson's hair which she has cut off. She turns round towards the Philistines who creep into the room. One of them, bare-headed and with a full beard, wears a short yellowish-brown coat with a dull-coloured cloth wound diagonally across his body ; he holds a sword in his right hand which is extended behind him, and raises his left hand before him. To the right, behind the brownish curtain of the bed, appears another Philistine, wearing a helmet and holding a drawn sword. On the floor are a dish and one or two pots of various metals. Small full-length figures.
Mentioned by Bode, p. 370; by Dutuit, p. 26; by Michel, pp. 27, 551 [22, 437] ; by Bredius, Nederlandsche Kunstbode, 1881, p. 182.
Exhibited at Berlin, 1883, No. 30 in the long gallery, and 1890, No. 221 ; at Amsterdam, 1898, No. 2.
In the collection of the Stadholder, later of the King of Prussia, Honsholredijk, inventories of 1707, 1713, and 1719, No. 39; in the Queen's oratory, No. 37. Thus it did not form part, as the Berlin catalogue suggests, of the inheritance from the House of Orange in 1676, meaning that it was part of the estate of Amalia von Solms.
In the collection of the German Emperor, Berlin, who gave it to the museum in 1906.
In the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin, 1911 catalogue, No. 812A.
Rembrandt
The blinding of Samson
1636
Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt-am-Main
33
RembrandtThe Blinding of Samson
95 inches by 114½ inches
Canvas
Signed in the centre at foot, "Rembrandt f. 1636"
Stadel'sches Kunstinstitut, Frankfort-on-Main
Bode 134; Dut. 23; Wb. 379; B.-HdG. 211. — In the foreground of a room opening to the back, Samson lies on the floor, just overcome by the Philistines. He is seen half foreshortened from right to left. One man has seized him from behind and fallen with him. Another, in full armour, grasps Samson's beard with his left hand and with the right thrusts his dagger into the right eye of his shrieking victim. A third soldier, also in full armour, binds a double chain round Samson's right wrist. Behind them, in shadow on the extreme right, comes a fourth man in a turban, with shield and uplifted sword. A fifth man, on the extreme left, stands in profile to the right with his legs wide apart, showing dark against the brilliancy of the background. He wears a cuirass, a dark red doublet, trunk hose, a fur-trimmed cap, and a sword ; he holds his halberd in front of the prisoner. Samson's breast, arms, and legs are bare. He presses his left foot on the ground and convulsively twitches his right foot in the air. To the right of him, Delilah in light blue rushes away at the back with a cry of triumph ; her hands are outstretched, the left hand grasping Samson's shorn locks and the right hand holding the scissors. Her features recall those of Saskia. On the floor lie carpets and draperies ; on a table to the left are a dish and an ewer. Large curtains hang from the ceiling and are partly drawn back. The light comes from the anteroom beyond. Life-size figures, full length.
Probably identical with the picture which Rembrandt sent with a letter of January 12, 1639, to Constantijn Huygens, as a recompense for the trouble which he had given Huygens, as secretary to Prince Frederick Henry of Orange. See Vosmaer, pp. 190, etc.; the catalogue of the Huygens Exhibition, The Hague, 1896, Nos. 824, 833 ; Michel, p. 220, note [170, note] ; Hofstede de Groot, Urkunden über Rembrandt, No. 65.
A copy, in the Cassel Gallery since the 1749 inventory, 1903 catalogue, No. 252, long passed as the original (Sm. 31).
Etched by F. Landerer, 1760. Engraved in outline in Reveil ; engraved in mezzotint by Jacobi, 1785.
Mentioned by Vosmaer, pp. 156, 511 ; by Bode, pp. 429, etc., 577 ; by Dutuit, p. 50 ; by Michel, pp. 220, 560 [170, 430] ; [and by W. R. Valentiner in the Burlington Magazine for June 1906, vol. ix. pp. 168-175].
In the collection of Count Schonborn-Buchheim, Vienna, 1896 catalogue, No. 93 ; traceable there since 1760.
Acquired in 1905 for Frankfort.
In the Stadel'sches Kunstinstitut, Frankfort-on-Main, No. 642.