Gezicht op 't Molentje (The Windmill) - Benjamin Wilson

An 18th-century etching by Benjamin Wilson, created as a deliberate imitation of Rembrandt to test the discernment of contemporary art collectors.

This etching by Benjamin Wilson is a notable example of eighteenth-century printmaking, specifically regarding the artist's engagement with the style of Rembrandt. Wilson, a British painter and printmaker, produced this work as part of a deliberate experiment to test the discernment of contemporary art collectors. The inscription on the plate explicitly records the event: a proof print from this plate was sold as a genuine Rembrandt to a prominent connoisseur for six shillings on 17 April 1751.

The composition depicts a rural scene with a small cottage and a windmill, rendered with fine, delicate lines that mimic the characteristic hatching and cross-hatching techniques found in Rembrandt's own etchings. The perspective draws the eye along a path that recedes into the distance, framed by trees and foliage. The inclusion of the text within the image area itself serves as a permanent record of the artist's successful deception, transforming the print from a simple rural study into a piece of art-historical commentary.

Wilson's ability to replicate the Dutch master's technique demonstrates his technical proficiency and his deep familiarity with the print market of his time. The work is executed with a lightness of touch, focusing on the atmospheric quality of the scene rather than rigid detail. The contrast between the dark, dense foliage and the open, lighter areas of the field creates a sense of depth typical of the period's etching practices. This print remains a fascinating document of the art world's susceptibility to attribution and the role of the copyist in the eighteenth century.