REMBRANDT H. van Rijn (1606 1669) - "The Angel appearing to the shepherds". 1634. Original etching, drypoint and burin. Ref: Bartsch, n°44. Proof on Arches laid paper. Late edition. Good margins. "Rembrandt has set the biblical passage in an impressive nighttime setting. In the sky, a glory shines brightly over a multitude of cherubs as well as an angel whose appearance frightens the shepherds and their flocks, who flee. The small scale on which men and animals are represented in relation to nature makes this composition grandiose. The scene takes place in a clearing, on the banks of a river crossed by a two-arched bridge; on the other bank, at the top of a mountain, we can make out a shining fortress, illuminated by the halo that surrounds the angel. The angel raises one hand in a gesture of harangue while the other is lowered as a sign of appeasement. Above him, the cherubs hover among the rays emanating from the Holy Spirit. On the ground, the rumps of the animals seem to undulate as they run in all directions. The artist worked the plate extensively to achieve these dramatic chiaroscuro effects, which range from the glistening white of the glory to the pitch black of the undergrowth. For his first "nocturnal" print, he combined etching, burin and drypoint to create velvety black surfaces comparable to those obtained with the so-called mezzotinto technique, which Rembrandt knew but did not use. [...] The most remarkable thing about this print is the light projected by the glory. Rembrandt studied its effect on each animal, each plant, each character. The panic of the animals is translated into an explosion of movement. The result is a spectacular image, with totally pictorial effects, which he could have adapted to a large painting" (BNF). 44 x 30,5 cm. Condition A (some light foxing in the margins and on the reverse).