Amand Durand
(French, 1831-1905)
Talented engraver and painter, Amand Durand, is recognized and praised for accomplishing the difficult task of renewing original copper plate designs made by Rembrandt; it is Amand Durand that saved many of Rembrandt’s works. He also restored plates by Drurer, Beham, and other various Old Masters from the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries.
The famous undertaking began when the main curator of the Louvre gave Amand Durand the important mission of restoring the worn down and fragile engravings made by Rembrandt. It would take six months to imprint the engravings on the copper plate with 1/1000mm accuracy. Amand Durand took the liberty of making the copper plates after the original designs instead of embellished versions made after Rembrandt’s death. The process for making the copper plates involved using valuable materials: silver, amalgam, steel, mercury, copper, and asphalt from the Dead Sea. These materials were exposed to the action of an electric lamp in order to obtain the same incisions as the ones made by Rembrandt. Interestingly, the method could have also been used to print banknotes so the municipality of Paris decided to ban it shortly after Amand Durand had made the first impressions after Rembrandt. A significant difference between the original engravings and the restored engravings was the quality of paper used by Durand. It was extremely high grade and would preserve the plates from exposure to acidity, which was common in older paper. These works became highly sought-after; Theo van Gogh, brother of Vincent van Gogh, would often remark how he wished he had bought some of these prints. Thanks to the dedication and skill of Amand Durand, these precious images are saved to this day.
American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Durand. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, Arizona or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.