Christ Preaching (The Hundred Guilder Print)

Rembrandt van Rijn's brilliance as a narrator is exemplified in this print, which summarizes and unifies Chapter 19 of Matthew's Gospel. Christ stands at center, rebuking his disciple Peter: "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them." At the far left, the Pharisees are engaged in a discussion of the laws of marriage. A well-dressed young man who sits near them holds his head in his hands, knowing that he must forsake his riches to join Christ. On the right, the sick and devoted make their way toward their healer. A camel moves through the narrow city gate, underscoring the verse: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

The print got its nickname of "The Hundred Guilder Print" as early as 1654, because Rembrandt restricted its distribution, creating such demand among collectors that the cost for it rose to the astonishing high sum of 100 guilders.