The catalog raisonné of Rembrandt's engravings
Bartsch, Hind and the New Hollstein do not give three competing names to the same list: they represent three moments of research, three orders of classification and three ways of identifying a print, its condition and its authenticity.
What number should be used today?
For a current reference, the New Hollstein is generally the most complete starting point: it chronologically classifies 314 prints, distinguishes numerous states, studies papers, watermarks, brass, posthumous prints and copies. But the number Bartsch remains essential, because it is still used by museums, sales catalogs and ancient literature. The number Hind remains useful for finding a work in English-speaking publications of the 20th centurye century and for its chronological order.
A rigorous notice therefore gives, when possible, several concordances: for example "B. 78; H. 270; NH 274", followed by the state in Roman numerals. The number is not proof of authenticity: it indicates an entry bibliographic whose attribution, condition, support and print quality must still be read.
Why can't catalogs just replace each other?
The common language
Adam von Bartsch recast previous catalogs and imposed a thematic sequence that became historical numbering: portraits, biblical subjects, landscapes, genre scenes. His list also includes works that later research rejected or reallocated.
Career over time
Arthur M. Hind organizes the prints chronologically and illustrates them in full. Its second revised edition distinguishes an authentic corpus numbered H. 1 to H. 303 and then places the rejected pieces.
The material object
Erik Hinterding and Jaco Rutgers, under the direction of Ger Luijten, integrate decades of study of states, watermarks, papers, plates and copies. The seven volumes separate texts, plates and copies.
From the first inventory to the paper laboratory
Gersaint
Edme-François Gersaint's posthumous catalog opens a long tradition of inventories of Rembrandt's engraved work.
Bartsch
In Vienna, Bartsch published a completely revised, corrected and expanded edition. Its numbering will become the abbreviated reference "B.".
Hind
The first edition appeared in 1912; the revised and completely illustrated edition of 1923, in two volumes, is the one commonly cited by museums.
Hollstein then New Hollstein
White and Boon renewed the corpus in 1969. In 2013, the New Hollstein Rembrandt resumed research on a much finer material and documentary scale.
"B. 78, H. 270, NH 274, IV/V": what does this formula mean?
The first three elements refer to entries from three catalogs. They do not describe three works, but three classification systems applied to the same plate Three Crosses. The last part, "IV/V", means fourth state out of five according to the adopted catalog. A state corresponds to a lasting modification of the plate: new hatching, erased figures, added signature or deeply reproduced composition.
L'testit is an individual sheet taken from this plate. Two proofs of the same condition may differ in paper, inking, surface tone, wiping, wear or margins. This is why a catalog number is never enough to precisely describe what you have in front of you.
The same print changes place depending on the catalog
| Stamp | Bartsch | Hind | New Hollstein | What the gap reveals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Lion Hunt, small board, with two lions, circa 1629 | B. 115 | H. 21 | NH 28 | Bartsch classifies by subject; Hind and NH place the work in the beginning. |
| Adam and Eve, 1638 | B. 28 | H. 159 | NH 168 | The very low Bartsch number does not mean that the print is early. |
| The Three Trees, 1643 | B. 212 | H. 205 | NH 214 | Nearby numbers are a coincidence, not a structural equivalence. |
| The Three Crosses, 1653 | B. 78 | H. 270 | NH 274 | Chronological order shifts the late work toward the end of the corpus. |
| Saint Jerome reading in an Italian landscape, circa 1653 | B. 104 | H. 267 | NH 275 | The approximate date and statements must accompany the concordances. |
| Titus, circa 1656 | B. 11 | H. 261 | NH 297 | A portrait placed early in Bartsch becomes a late work in NH. |
The numbers above must be read with the specific condition of each proof. The basics of the Rijksmuseum and the British Museum often display several references in parallel, making them excellent verification tools.
States are not simple variations of contrast
The catalog raisonné does not only respond to "what image?", but to "what plaque, at what moment in its history, printed when, on what paper and under what attribution?"
Why the "B." stays everywhere
Bartsch's strength is its stability. For more than two centuries, dealers, collectors and curators wrote "B. 28" or "B. 78". An old assembly label, collection inventory or sales catalog becomes immediately consultable as soon as this reference is recognized.
Its limit is that of any founding company: the corpus and attributions have changed. An entry into Bartsch therefore does not automatically mean "authentic Rembrandt". Some sheets have been removed, moved to one student or imitator, or recognized as copies. Bartsch remains a historical address; New Hollstein more often provides the current diagnosis.
The decisive choice of chronological order
Arthur Mayger Hind, curator at the British Museum, wants to make visible the evolution of the engraver. Its catalog allows us to move from small hesitant studies by Leiden to great drypoint masterpieces. The revised edition of 1923 includes a volume of text and a volume of plates; it gives 303 numbers to the prints then considered authentic, then isolates the rejected pieces.
Chronological order, however, remains a construction. Many plates are not dated, and the position of a print can be proposed according to style, watermarks or technical connections. Hind is therefore valuable for the history of the discipline as much as for identification: it shows what we thought we knew in 1923 and provides a gateway to an immense English-speaking bibliography.
Seven volumes to follow 314 works, their states and their copies
Volumes I -II: texts
The notices cover numbers 1 to 314, with attributions, dating, inscriptions, statements, copper, papers and watermarks. The changes are illustrated by enlarged details.
Volumes III -V: boards
They reproduce the states in full, if possible on a real scale. Visual comparison becomes a method and not a simple complement.
Volumes VI -VII: copies
They list and illustrate copies after Rembrandt, more than twice as numerous as in previous references according to the publisher.
The essential progress is not only the number 314. It lies in the distinction between contemporary states, posthumous interventions, plate wear, reprints and copies. Research on watermarks also makes it possible to group together sheets printed at nearby periods.
Four works, four different problems
What the catalog establishes - and what it offers
Material facts
Dimensions of the plate and sheet, observable watermark, technique, inscription, visible modifications, location of a proof, presence of a collector's mark.
Argued conclusions
Attribution to Rembrandt, dating of an undated plaque, order of states, distinction between contemporary revival and posthumous intervention. These conclusions can evolve with new tests.
Interpretations
Identity of a model, meaning of a gesture, exact literary source or commercial intention. A serious notice points out the hypotheses instead of converting them into certainties.
How to read a cataloged print yourself
Identify the plate
Compare composition, image direction, dimensions of the printed element, monogram and date. Be careful with reverse copies.
Spot state
Look for added or erased traits in the diagnostic areas indicated by the catalog, rather than just judging general darkness.
Describe the test
Note paper, watermark, margins, plate tone, wiping, wear, accidents and collector's marks. Two sheets of the same condition remain two distinct objects.
Cross sources
Give at least the NH reference and the Bartsch concordance; consult the museum notice which preserves the precise proof.
Best entry points
The New Hollstein is a specialized printed work, available mainly in museum libraries, print cabinets and large research libraries. For an initial remote identification, the public bases of Rijksmuseum and the British Museum are particularly useful: they display bibliographic references, condition, technique, dimensions and often an enlargeable image.
Rijksprentenkabinet
The Rijksmuseum maintains a major collection and its base frequently associates Bartsch and New Hollstein with each event.
British Museum
The notices give Hind, White & Boon and New Hollstein, as well as comments, provenance and condition of numerous sheets.
BnF, NGA and Met
These institutions make it possible to compare proofs, papers and sometimes several states of the same plate. Prints are not always permanently displayed for conservation reasons.
From catalog to visual experience
The store does not offer a facsimile of the seven volumes of New Hollstein. To extend the study without confusing scholarly document and reproduction decorative, explore the Rembrandt general collection and analyzes devoted to its large etchings.
Explore the Rembrandt collectionAnalyze The Three CrossesFAQ about Rembrandt's engraving catalogs
What does "Bartsch" or "B." mean after a title?
This is the number given by Adam von Bartsch in his 1797 catalog. This historical reference remains very widespread, even when the attribution or number of states have been revised.
What is the difference between Hind and Bartsch?
Bartsch mainly organizes the corpus by subjects; Hind presents it chronologically and illustrates it. Their numbers are therefore not convertible by simple addition or subtraction.
Is New Hollstein replacing Bartsch?
It constitutes the most recent and detailed critical reference, but Bartsch remains necessary to understand old publications, collection inscriptions and sales catalogs.
How many of Rembrandt's engravings does New Hollstein remember?
The 2013 Rembrandt edition describes 314 numbered prints, distributed chronologically between 1625 and 1665. This total should not be confused with the number of proofs or that of the states.
What's a print state?
A state corresponds to a lasting phase of the plate after modification. A variation in inking or paper between two prints does not automatically constitute a new state.
Why does a print sometimes have several titles?
Titles are often descriptive and later than Rembrandt. Research can replace a traditional identification, such as "Faust", with more cautious wording such as "A scholar in his cabinet".
Does a Bartsch number prove the work is authentic?
No. Bartsch included prints since rejected or attributed to imitators. You must read the conclusion of the recent catalog and check the instructions for the precise proof.
How to correctly cite a test?
Indicate artist, title, date, technique, plate dimensions, institution and inventory number, then the matches - ideally B., H. and NH - with the exact condition.
Institutional and bibliographic references
- Rijksmuseum Research Library - Adam von Bartsch, Catalog raisonné..., Vienna, 1797.
- British Museum - Arthur M. Hind, A Catalog of Rembrandt's Etchings, 2 vols., 1923.
- Hollstein - Erik Hinterding and Jaco Rutgers, eds. Ger Luijten, Rembrandt, New Hollstein, 7 vols., 2013.
- Rijksmuseum - The Goldsmith, example of concordance B. 123 /NH 289 and status description.
- Rijksmuseum - The Small Lion Hunt, with Two Lions, B. 115 /N.H. 28.
- Rijksmuseum - Titus, B. 11 /N.H. 297.
- Rijksmuseum - Saint Jerome Reading in an Italianate Landscape, B. 104 /N.H. 275.
- National Library of France - The Three Crosses, bibliographic record and references Bartsch, White & Boon, New Hollstein.
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