Dutch artist of the Golden Age, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) is well known for his monumental paintings: portraits, allegorical and biblical scenes and much more. Rembrandt was an artist striving to paint pure emotion in all of his subjects. His masterful technique of light and color set new standards for the artists that came after him. Most people, when they hear the name Rembrandt, think of his paintings “The Night Watch”, “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee” and his many portraits and self portraits. What few people really know is the background behind Rembrandt’s artistry as a print maker. His prints carve a whole new perspective in the medium, taking his emotive charge to work with shades of light and darkness, something which is evident in his paintings, and adapting it to the black-and-white medium of prints and etchings. It’s called chiaroscuro, a technique developed and studied in the Renaissance as well as amongst the Dutch artists of the Golden Age. Art historian Michiel Kersten has produced a concise and detailed study of Rembrandt’s printmaking skills. His book, Rembrandt Etchings: Looking at Rembrandt’s Prints, studies the art of printmaking and how Rembrandt made use of this medium to create some of his finest, though perhaps not best known, works. The book goes into great detail discussing the medium, the artist and the skills he developed in creating dramatic and emotionally powerful etchings and prints. The author parallels his dissertation of Rembrandt’s work in this medium with that of his painting career, eloquently pointing out that printmaking, for this artist, was like painting in black-and-white. A monumental and important study of Rembrandt’s etchings.

This author is definitely a seventeenth century art expert. The author provides so much detailed information. Rembrandt’s etchings and life as an artist is laid to bare. If you have ever wondered about this artistic geniusor are attending art school you need to read this book. I learned about the various etching techniques, Rembrandt employed, along with his terribly futuristic approach to his printing methods.The author deftly captures the spirit of the times in Amsterdam and leaves little unexplored in both explaining the prints, but most importantly in explaining the life of one of greats.

This book does an excellent job explaining the greatness of Rembrandt’s art in language that even the layman can understand. There were many interesting things I did not know about Rembrandt, including his personal life and early influences. I enjoyed learning about his predecessors and how they served as a source of inspiration. There was a helpful timeline of his life, which helped understand both personal and professional as influences in the development of his work. A well-written and insightful resource.

If you like Rembrandt’s etchings and wish to know more about them, you should definitely read this book. It is well-written by a Dutch expert on seventeenth century art, and provides detailed information about various different aspects of Rembrandt as a printmaker such as his special etching techniques, his business acumen, and his innovative printing methods. Without using any art historical jargon, the author puts Rembrandt’s prints in the context of the time by discussing Amsterdam as the centre of book and print trade, and by showing the eternal competition among artists. What I liked most was discovering the beauty and wealth of detail by closely studying his prints. The book once again shows that Rembrandt was the best printmaker ever. Highly recommended!

Dutch artist of the Golden Age, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669) is well known for his monumental paintings: portraits, allegorical and biblical scenes and much more. Rembrandt was an artist striving to paint pure emotion in all of his subjects. His masterful technique of light and color set new standards for the artists that came after him. Most people, when they hear the name Rembrandt, think of his paintings “The Night Watch”, “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee” and his many portraits and self portraits. What few people really know is the background behind Rembrandt’s artistry as a print maker. His prints carve a whole new perspective in the medium, taking his emotive charge to work with shades of light and darkness, something which is evident in his paintings, and adapting it to the black-and-white medium of prints and etchings. It’s called chiaroscuro, a technique developed and studied in the Renaissance as well as amongst the Dutch artists of the Golden Age. Art historian Michiel Kersten has produced a concise and detailed study of Rembrandt’s printmaking skills. His book, Rembrandt Etchings: Looking at Rembrandt’s Prints, studies the art of printmaking and how Rembrandt made use of this medium to create some of his finest, though perhaps not best known, works. The book goes into great detail discussing the medium, the artist and the skills he developed in creating dramatic and emotionally powerful etchings and prints. The author parallels his dissertation of Rembrandt’s work in this medium with that of his painting career, eloquently pointing out that printmaking, for this artist, was like painting in black-and-white. A monumental and important study of Rembrandt’s etchings.