1: What's here is easy to enjoy
So let's start with what to enjoy: the art. Most pieces are etchings; Rembrandt didn't invent etching, but arguably reinvented it. Others are drawings in sanguine, graphite, charcoal, or ink wash. Most aren't overtly erotic as I use the term, they're just nudes - as if R's artwork could be "just" anything. Among other things, those figure studies show how body fashions change over time. Back then, understated busts and fleshy figures defined the "It" girl; today, it's understated figures and fleshy busts. Go figure. Even if only a few drawings have clear sexual content, the others help sustain a likably physical mood.
The biggest things not to enjoy are the things not included in this pricey book. R's wonderful painting, "The Jewish Bride," wasn't a sketch, so it was cut - too bad, since I have happy personal associations with it far beyond any objective analysis of its content. And, although a man relieving his bladder was somehow considered erotic, R's famous sketch of a woman doing the same did not make it into this collection.
High production values make this book a solid artifact. Fine, dense printing on opaque, glare-free paper carry the images well. A delicate buff tone to the paper creates an ambience of age. Heavy stock gives it a substantive feel. It's short, though, just 31 numbered reproductions. Thick boards for the hardbound cover act a bit like a restaurant's fat-bottomed wineglass - they give the illusion of a big payload, but only an illusion. And, even if it's cute and gives that "top shelf" sense of exclusiveness, the die-cut covers and red ribbon tie-shut are just a bit precious. This is a very nice collection, but not quite as nice as it makes itself out to be.
-- wiredweird
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