When I think of Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn, I immediately envision human faces as islands of warm, glowing light swathed in complete and close-pressing darkness, furrowed brows, and penetrating gazes. Rembrandt is most known for his gentle, studied treatment of human faces, forms, and gestures, and his beautifully brooding self-portraits. Printmaking is the quieter sibling to painting, and more attention has traditionally gone to his works in oil, but the artist also created some pretty epic etchings.

The Memorial Art Gallery is offering a rare glimpse at more than 40 of his etchings, the subject matter of which ranges from portraits, landscapes, scenes of daily life, and historical and biblical narratives. "Etching was the photography of Rembrandt's day, and he gives us a window into both the everyday life and cosmopolitan themes that captured his imagination," notes Dr. Morton Mower of Baltimore, owner and loaner of the collection.

The show opens in the Lockhart Gallery at the Memorial Art Gallery, at 500 University Ave., on Friday, February 26, and will be on display through May 23. Admission to the gallery is $5-$10, with half-price hours on Thursdays 5-9 p.m. Gallery hours are Wed-Sun 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday until 9 p.m. For more information, call 276-8900, or visit mag.rochester.edu.