This was announced on Monday by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, write The Guardian.
Through high-tech scanning and two years of expert analysis, the museum has identified a biblical scene that has been considered a work of the “Rembrandt workshop” since the 1960s. At the time, it was suggested that it could have been created by one of the lesser-known artists, including Jan Lievens or Salomon Konink.
Rijksmuseum Director General Taco Dibbits with the painting. Photo: Peter Dejong / AP
Museum CEO Taco Dibbits said that a couple who inherited a painting from their father approached the institution several years ago.
“It was very dark. But after the restoration, it seemed as if the gold was exploding from the canvas, even though the artist painted with yellow paint, not gold. That is the genius of the artist. This is classic Rembrandt,” said Dibbits.
The painting depicts the biblical story of the high priest Zechariah, to whom the archangel Gabriel announces the birth of a son, the future John the Baptist. The angel is not visible on the canvas - only a bright light in the corner and an expression of disbelief on the priest's face.
Evidence of authenticity
Jonathan Bicker, curator of the 17th-century Dutch painting department, and researcher Petria Noble published a scientific article in Burlington Magazine, where they proved Rembrandt's authorship.
The painting was purchased from an Amsterdam art dealer in 1961. Photo: Charlotte van Campenhout / Reuters
In 1969, researcher Horst Gerson questioned the attribution based on poor quality photographs without examining the work itself.
Instead, the Rijksmuseum conducted a comprehensive analysis:
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the pigments of the paints coincided with Rembrandt's works of the same period;
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macroscanning using X-ray fluorescence revealed changes in the composition characteristic of the artist;
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Examination of the wooden panel confirmed the dating to 1633.
The father of the current owners purchased the painting in 1961 from an Amsterdam art dealer. Since then, its authorship has been officially downgraded to "Rembrandt's workshop."
“The owners even joked, pointing out the large signature ‘Rembrandt.’ They themselves didn’t dare believe that it was a real young Rembrandt,” says Bicker.
The museum is not yet disclosing the estimated value of the work. However, paintings attributed to the “Rembrandt workshop” are usually valued in the tens or hundreds of thousands of euros. For comparison, the Rijksmuseum recently acquired another Rembrandt work for 175 million euros.
"Vision of Zacharias in the Temple" will go on display at the museum from Wednesday. With its addition, the Rijksmuseum's collection will include 25 works by Rembrandt, the largest collection of the artist in the world.
Main photo – Koen van Weel / EPA
See also:
A painting by Rembrandt mistakenly attributed to his student was sold at auction for $13,8 million
35 Rembrandt engravings found in family home in the Netherlands
In Amsterdam, you can get a tattoo with the artist's work in the Rembrandt Museum