Armand-Durand, born in Paris, France, 1831, became a master engraver early in his career. He deeply admired the 15th, 16th and 17th century Old Masters' engravings and saw how they lost quality and faded from the ravages of time. This realization, combined with in-depth research throughout public and private collections of these masters, inspired his dedication to recreate their images and preserve the original quality for future generations. Soon after Amand-Durand's death in 1905, his original copper plates were obtained by the prestigious French book publishers, Dominique Vincent et Cie. They mainly published the work for book illustrations, but sporadically sold it to private parties interested in this unique creation. And now, over a century after Armand-Durand painstakingly recreated Rembrandt's etchings, the benefits of his devotion to quality and beauty are again being felt throughout the entire art world.