The Three Crosses — About This Work
Rembrandt van Rijn, 1653-c.1660
About the Work
Rembrandt’s Christ Crucified Between the Two Thieves: The Three Crosses, usually known simply as The Three Crosses, was made entirely in drypoint, a technique in which lines are scratched directly into a copper plate. The raised burr left by the needle can print with a soft, velvety darkness, but it wears quickly. After the earlier states of the plate had been printed, Rembrandt reworked the image extensively so that he could continue to use it.
This impression is from the fourth of five states. Heavy slashing strokes darken much of the crowd and the surrounding space, while Christ remains caught in a shaft of light at the centre. The Cleveland Museum of Art describes the darkness as an active pictorial force, and the contrast gives the scene an intensity that is closer to tonal painting than to conventional linear engraving.
The impression also has an individual character. The museum notes that Rembrandt deliberately left ink on parts of the plate, especially at the left and right, rather than wiping it completely clean before printing. Those retained tones deepen the shadows and make this particular impression more than a simple repetition of the plate image.
The Work
Artist: Rembrandt van Rijn
Title: Christ Crucified Between the Two Thieves: The Three Crosses
Date: 1653-c.1660
Medium: Drypoint on laid paper
Sheet: 37.5 × 44 cm
Collection: Cleveland Museum of Art
Accession number: 1959.241
Print & Presentation
Palatine presentation: 40 × 50 cm landscape frame.
The complete artwork is reproduced at approximately 44 × 37.5 cm, without cropping or distortion. The surrounding white presentation area is incorporated into the print rather than added as a separate mount.
Frame finishes: Black, White or Natural.
Paper & glazing: Enhanced Matte + Perspex; Enhanced Matte + Moth-Eye.
Why Original Scale?
Most art-print shops offer the same image in a choice of Small, Medium and Large sizes. We take a different approach. For each edition, we begin with the recorded dimensions of the original work and reproduce the complete image at that scale, preserving its proportions and avoiding enlargement, reduction, cropping or distortion.
Source: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Open Access (CC0).
Care: Display in a dry interior away from prolonged direct sunlight and sources of moisture.
Notes from Palatine
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Palatine Editions · Original Scale Editions · palatineeditions.com