The Virgin with the Instruments of the Passion, Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1642
etching, h 110mm × w 89mm More details
This is one of Rembrandt’s most enigmatic etchings. The woman appears to be the Virgin Mary, with the instruments of the passion: the nails of the Cross and the flagellum lay in front of her. She gazes beyond the picture plane, and perhaps her hand gesture has something to do with whatever she is focused on. Could this extremely rare print have been commissioned by a Catholic patron?
