Object Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Le Philosophe en Contemplation |
Object Name |
Engraving |
Object ID |
FA 2000.001.135 |
Description |
This etching, by the Italian engraver and etcher Joseph Longhi, reproduces a work by the Dutch master of chiaroscuro, Rembrandt van Rijn. The original painting travelled to France in the 18th century and gained fast fame, which resulted in the production of this popular print. Etching, known for its ability to capture tonal softness, was an ideal medium to reproduce Rembrandt's shadowy atmosphere. In a cavernous room, touched by daylight from the window at left, an aged and bearded man sits in quiet contemplation. At right, in the foreground, a woman tends a fire in the hearth with a pair of tongs. The fanciful curve of the staircase draws the eye upward. Though expansive, the space this pair inhabits is humble: only a few scattered baskets, pans, and stools hint at the domestic life that must go on inside. While many have interpreted this scene as showing a natural philosopher engaged in deep thought, the picture's current title, "A Philosopher in Contemplation," was likely a late addition. Rembrandt's original work is believed to have been a Biblical rather than chemical subject, a vignette of Tobit and Anna waiting for their son Tobias. However, the work's essential subject may be its depiction of contemplation itself: the artist's use of light and shadow to create a feeling of deep meditation. The early 20th-century Austrian philosopher and critic Rudolf Steiner declared that the meaning of Rembrandt's "philosopher" lay in its "purest expression of light and dark." |
Artist |
Longhi, Joseph |
Artist 2 |
Vallaert |
Artist 3 |
Rembrandt van Rijn (after) |
Dimensions |
H-10.5 W-12.5 inches |
Material |
Paper, Ink |
Medium |
Engraving |
Collection |
Fisher Collection |
Search Terms |
Engravings Philosophers Philsophy Longhi, Giuseppe, 1620-1691 Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1606-1669 |
Provenance |
Fisher Scientific, Pittsburg, PA; Fisher Scientific International Inc., Hampton, NH, until 2000. The Chemical Heritage Foundation, 2000 (from Scientific International Inc.). |