Hommage à Rembrandt (15 x 18 cm.)


At least that is what I made intuitively of this wonderful and intimate etching of a young women preparing to go to bed. The canopy bed no doubt “borrowed” from Rembrandt’s (and Saskia’s) bedroom. But to be honest I have not found its counterpart or example. 


Over the years I collected several of Etienne Bosch’s works, intrigued by his “scribbly” style, and his Italian (Rome) depictions. Degas comes also to mind and the almost voyeuristic etchings (and paintings) by Anders Zorn. 

Bosch was an academy class-mate and close friend of Marius Bauer, the well known and far more famous Dutch orientalist, and stylishly  works by these two friends are closely resembling.  


This, picked up inexpensive, its margins and signature cut off and dismembered, from and among the rubbish in a flea market for one reason only: it still is wonderful. Besides it has set me on an even more wonderful journey trying to find out about its context.      


I think trying to find out about context and background, and comparing the many pictures stored in the brain and in the archive is part of the fun of collecting nice things (“schöne Dinge”) and at the same time learning and educating one self. 


Anders Zorn’s young woman preparing for bed  has the most  wonderful warm backlight glow of a log fire.  

gerbrandcaspers@icloud.com