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The Monk in the Cornfield

A work made of etching with drypoint on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of etching with drypoint on ivory laid paper.

Date:

c. 1646

Artist:

Rembrandt van Rijn
Dutch, 1606-1669

About this artwork

Rembrandt was never shy about showing naked bodies or erotic subjects in a realistic way. In the 1640s he created several scenes of courting couples outdoors, and The Monk in the Cornfield is one of the most sexually charged of these prints. Despite the print’s tiny size, the graphic depiction of an unchaste monk and an enthusiastic milkmaid coupling surreptitiously makes for a powerful sculptural grouping. The etched suggestion of a farmer with a scythe in the background reinforces the temporary nature of their haven in the wheat field and emphasizes the voyeurism of the viewer.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Rembrandt van Rijn

Title

The Monk in the Cornfield

Place

Netherlands (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1641–1651

Medium

Etching with drypoint on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

Image/plate: 4.7 × 6.6 cm (1 7/8 × 2 5/8 in.); Sheet: 5.1 × 6.9 cm (2 1/16 × 2 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Clarence Buckingham Collection; Amanda S. Johnson and Marion Livingston Endowment

Reference Number

2001.119

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/155921/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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