Previously Undiscovered Rembrandt Painting Comes to Light

A previously unknown painting by Rembrandt has been discovered. The portrait, thought to date from around 1634, features a young man whose identity is unknown. It is possible that the image is one piece of a larger double portrait.

The painting was purchased by art historian and dealer Jan Six during an auction at Christie’s auction house in London in 2016. It was unsigned and undated and Christie’s attributed it to “a painter from the Rembrandt area”. It was expected to yield between £15000-£20000. Six bought the portrait for £137,000.

Artdependence Magazine had the opportunity to speak to Jan Six’s partner Ronit Palache in order to learn more about the artwork. We asked Ronit what it was that had led Six to believe the portrait may have been a Rembrandt. “I had the feeling that I was looking at a real human being instead of an image of a person. Secondly, various technical details were of such high quality that it could only have been created by the master himself. The lace of the collar was one of these details.”

The painting had been brought to Christie’s by an aristocratic British family who had owned it for 6 generations. It measures 94.5 cm by 73.5 cm.

Ronit explained where the work had been since the 2016 purchase. “It was restored and researched and will now be put on view in the Amsterdam Hermitage for the next month. Jan Six will also write a book about his discovery. In the long term, the work will be up for sale.”

Dutch painter Rembrandt is considered to be one of the greatest visual artists of all time. He is the best-known Dutch painter in the art historical cannon. His work depicts a wide range of subject matter including landscapes and portraits. He worked with and taught many important Dutch painters during his life and his work was highly regarded both during his lifetime and following his death in 1669.

Image on top: Rembrandt, Portrait of a Young Gentleman , c. 1634, Jan Six Fine Art, Amsterdam.