The Circumcision in the Stable, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1654
etching, h 97mm × w 147mm More details
All of Rembrandt’s etchings are pulled from a copperplate. To make an etching, he would cover the plate with a mixture of resin and beeswax, then draw through that surface with a needle to expose the metal. The plate was immersed in acid, which ‘bites’ grooves in these exposed areas. When the plate was inked and put through a printing press with a sheet of paper, an impression of the design appears on the paper.
