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The Circumcision: 23.K.5-70

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Current Location: In storage

Titles

The Circumcision

Maker(s)

Printmaker: Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn
Publisher: Beerendrecht, Johannes Pietersz.

Entities

Categories

Description

A group of men and women are gathered around a baby boy at the centre who is being circumcised by a high priest wearing a mitre. A couple stand and watch from stairs in the background. Behind the group, a candle on a bracket at upper left and a hay fork resting against the wall. A pair of doves sit beside a dish in the foreground.

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1816) by Fitzwilliam, Richard, 7th Viscount

Dating

17th Century
Production date: circa AD 1626

Note

With inscription added in burin.

School or Style

Dutch

Materials used in production

Black carbon ink

Components of the work

Support composed of laid paper
Image Height 211 mm Width 161 mm
Sheet Height 211 mm Width 161 mm

Techniques used in production

Etching

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: Rembrant [sic] fecit
  • Location: Image lower left
  • Method of creation: Printed
  • Type: Signature
  • Text: I. P. Berendrech ex.
  • Location: Image lower left
  • Method of creation: Printed
  • Type: Address
  • Text: 70
  • Location: Verso
  • Method of creation: Graphite
  • Type: Inscription
  • Text: 1720
  • Location: Verso
  • Method of creation: Brown ink

Inscription present: Lugt 932

  • Text: FITZWILLIAM MUSEUM
  • Location: Verso
  • Method of creation: Black ink
  • Type: Stamp
  • Text: 23.K.5-49
  • Location: Verso
  • Method of creation: Black ink
  • Type: Stamp

Identification numbers

Accession number: 23.K.5-70
Primary reference Number: 79478
New Hollstein (Dutch/Flemish): 1 III/III
Hollstein (Dutch/Flemish): S398 II/II
Biörklund/Barnard: BB26-2 II/II
Lugt: 932

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Thursday 17 July 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "The Circumcision" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/79478 Accessed: 2025-12-07 20:03:12

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/79478 |title=The Circumcision |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-07 20:03:12|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

API call for this record

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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-79478

Bootstrap HTML code for reuse

To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:

<div class="text-center">
    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/pdp/pdp80/23_K_5_70_1_201712_sjc288_dc2.jpg"
        alt="The Circumcision"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">The Circumcision</figcaption>
    </figure>
</div>

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