American Art Collaborative

Among the most innovative and technically brilliant printmakers in the history of European art, Rembrandt produced etchings throughout his career. As an artistic method, etching is similar to drawing. The artist uses a sharp-pointed needle to draw lines into a wax-coated copper plate, which is then placed into an acid bath. The acid bites into the plate wherever a line has been drawn, creating grooves to be filled with ink. To produce an impression, a sheet of dampened paper is placed on top of the inked plate and is rolled through a printing press. In Christ Preaching Rembrandt masterfully uses lines of various density and ink levels to capture the range of light that filters through the compact space.