Artist: Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), after.
Engravers: 1, 2, 4 Francis Vivares (British, 1709-1780), had a very high reputation in France where regarded as greatest landscape engraver, and key teacher of the British school of line-engraving. 3. Chevalier Ignace Joseph de Claussin (French, 1766–1844). Amateur etcher and collector of Rembrandt etchings. 5. Jan van Vliet (Dutch, c.1600/1610-1668?) He was a collaborator with Rembrandt in Leiden.
Titles: 1. The Quack seller. 2. A man in ragged clothes with a walking stick. 3. Polander standing with his stick. 4. Beggar Seated Warming His Hands at a Chafing Dish. 5. The Rat Catcher.
Inscriptions: 1. Etched at the base of the image with a facsimile of Rembrandt's signature 'Rembrandt f. 1635' and 'F.V. fecit'; numbered in upper right '1'. 2. Etched at the base of the image with a facsimile of Rembrandt's signature 'Rembrandt f. 1639' and 'F.V. fecit'; numbered in upper right '4'. 3. Lettered with facsimile monogram and dated below image: "Rt. 1631". 4. Lettered with facsimile monogram 'Rem.' and 'F.V. fecit'; numbered in upper right '5'." 5. Lettered upper left: "JG van Vliet in." burnished.
Dimensions: 1. 3" x 2". 2. 3 1/8" x 2 1/8". 3. 2 1/4" x 7/8". 4. 3" x 2 1/8". 5. 3 3/4" x 2 1/2". Backing sheet 9 3/4" x 10 1/8".
Publisher: John McCreery, English publisher and printer (1768-1832).
Edition: A Collection of Original Etchings. Published by McCreery. London, 1816. The original copper plates were believed to be destroyed after this publication.
Date: 1816 (published).
Materials and Techniques: etchings on a thin, lightweight wove paper. Mounted on the same paper as other McCreery prints and presumably taken from the same volume because of the same three sides’ gilded edges and matching size.
Mat and Frame: adhered to the backing paper.
Provenance: The Estate of George "Yorgo" Demetrakopoulos; professor, assistant director of the Medieval Institute, and assistant to the dean at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, from 1965-2000.
Condition: Trimmed backing sheet. Lost some extremities of the backing sheet. The signs of aging are appropriate for the time. A detailed condition report is available on demand.
Part of: An album containing 194 re-prints of original Dutch, French and Italian etchings by Rembrandt, Bega, Lorraine, Hollar and others, re-worked by McCreery; also containing copies after Rembrandt, Karel Dujardin, Ruysdael and Stefano della Bella (McCreery, London: 1816). 1632-1670. The British Museum 1958,0523.5.1-194.
Museums and Libraries: 1. The British Museum F,5.74. 2. Wellcome Library no. 43833i. 3. The British Museum 1851,0412.53. 4. Philadelphia Museum of Art 1985-52-8754. 5. The British Museum 1862,0524.139.
Art Movements, Periods & Schools: Dutch School XVII C. French School XVIII C. British School XVIII C.
Note: This entry incorporates text from the catalog entries of the same item from the collection of the British Museum, Wellcome Library, and Philadelphia Museum of Art.