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Reclining Female Nude

A work made of etching, drypoint, and engraving, on ivory japanese paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of etching, drypoint, and engraving, on ivory japanese paper.

Date:

1658

Artist:

Rembrandt van Rijn
Dutch, 1606-1669

About this artwork

Scholars have widely debated Rembrandt’s choice of either a light- or dark-skinned model for this magnificently ambiguous etching. In the 18th century, its given title changed to variations of Reclining Negress. Rembrandt did portray an African model around 1630, but it is unclear if this much-later print represented another. The stark contrast between the cavernous darkness and the bright bed linens suggests the artist’s keen interest in depicting the play of light on skin. Rembrandt’s characteristic use of a Japanese paper support further enhances the heat of the very real and very warm, naked body.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Rembrandt van Rijn

Title

Reclining Female Nude

Place

Holland (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.

1658

Medium

Etching, drypoint, and engraving, on ivory Japanese paper

Dimensions

Sheet trimmed to platemark: 8.1 × 15.8 cm (3 1/4 × 6 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Clarence Buckingham Collection

Reference Number

1954.11

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/80079/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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