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Taras Shevchenko

Encyclopedia of the life and works

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Rembrandt self portrait with a sword

Taras Shevchenko. Rembrandt self…

Taras Shevchenko. Rembrandt self portrait with a sword. Paper, etching 19.4 × 16.2 cm (22.1 × 17.3 cm). [St.Petersburg]. [Not later than 15.VII 1858]. Pushkin National Museum of Fine Arts, inv. 35737.

A copy of Rembrandt's etching.

This etchings along with "Lazarus Clap" and "Pole with a sword and a stick» stored in a collection of Shevchenko's close friend J. Polonsky, who gifted them to famous Russian historian of prints D/ A/ Rovinsky [see G. Palamarchuk, Unknown etchings Shevchenko, "Ukraine", 1957, № 5].

Rovinsky, listing all known etchings Shevchenko said that he personally stored three of his prints – etchings by Rembrandt and refer to the names and numbers in directory of Bartsch [Von Bartsch, Catalog raisonne de toutes les estampes qui forment l'oeuvre de Rembrandt, Wien, 1797], which denotes the Rembrandt's originals:

"Shevchenko made three copies of prints by Rembrandt (or more accurately, Bazanov copies from Rembrandt): a) Rembrandt an sabre (Ba, № 23), b) Lasarus Klap (Ba, № 171) and in) Polonais portant sabre et baton (Ba, № 141) " [D. Rovinsky, Detailed dictionary of Russian engravers XVI – XIX cent., St. Petersburg, 1895, vol II, p. 1177].

Perhaps it was the first exercise in Shevchenko's studies of dashed technology Rembrandt's etchings that preceded the work on etching "The parable of the workers in the vineyard" (see V. I. Kasian, Etchings Shevchenko, K., 1963, p. 22).

Storage areas: property of J. P. Polonsky, D. A. Rovinsky, Rumyantsev Museum.

G. P. Palamarchuk

After publication: Taras Shevchenko Complete Works in 10 volumes. – Kyiv: ed. Academy of sciences of UkrSSR, 1963, v. 10, № 104 (image), p. 54 – 55 (note).