Christ Preaching (The Hundred Guilder Print)
Medium
etching on chine collé on wove paper
Dimensions
sheet: 38 × 50 cm (14 15/16 × 19 11/16 in.) sheet (chine collé): 29 × 39 cm (11 7/16 × 15 3/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Miss Alice Hall Kerr
Accession Number
1966.7.1
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Behold Rembrandt's timeless masterpiece, *Christ Preaching*—affectionately nicknamed the Hundred Guilder Print for its extraordinary value in the 17th century. This 1873 etching by French Léopold Flameng faithfully reproduces the Dutch master's original from around 1648–49. Rembrandt, a Baroque genius of the Dutch Golden Age, captures Christ at the center, preaching and healing amid a diverse crowd of disciples, Pharisees, and the afflicted. The composition brims with humanity, light piercing the darkness to symbolize divine grace. Printed on chine collé—a delicate technique bonding thin Chinese paper to sturdy wove support during the etching process—this work showcases Flameng's skill in emulating Rembrandt's revolutionary use of aquatint-like tones and intricate linework. Etching allowed Rembrandt to achieve painterly depth rivaling his oils, blending shadow and glow in a single copper plate. At 29 × 39 cm, it's intimate yet monumental. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's prints collection (gift of Miss Alice Hall Kerr), this reproduction honors Rembrandt's enduring influence on printmaking. It invites us to ponder themes of compassion and faith, bridging 17th-century Amsterdam to modern viewers in a virtual gallery stroll.