Two small portraits by Rembrandt, undiscovered for two centuries and recently auctioned for a staggering $14 million, were unveiled. The event took place on Wednesday December 13 at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum.
Rembrandt’s portraits, each measuring a mere 20 centimeters in height and oval in shape, represent an elderly plumber, Jan Willemsz van der Pluym, and his spouse, Jaapgen Carels. Rendered in a distinctly personal style atypical of Rembrandt, these depictions showcase the couple who were not only residents of the artist's native Leiden but also close acquaintances of his family. Renowned for his larger commissioned works for affluent patrons, these paintings stand as the smallest known portraits by the revered 17th-century Dutch master. The Holterman family acquired these rare artworks for over £11 million at a Christie's auction in July, subsequently placing them on a long-term loan to the Rijksmuseum.
"The Rijksmuseum possesses the world's most comprehensive and illustrious collection of Rembrandt paintings," proclaimed Henry Holterman, the current owner, in a statement. He expressed his conviction that these masterpieces rightfully belong within the museum's collection. To authenticate these works as genuine Rembrandts, Rijksmuseum experts employed a combination of X-ray imaging, infrared photography and paint sample analysis. The museum further noted that these portraits bear stylistic resemblance to other contemporaneous works by Rembrandt, particularly in the detailed construction of facial features and the artist's characteristic fluid brushwork.
With AFP
Rembrandt’s portraits, each measuring a mere 20 centimeters in height and oval in shape, represent an elderly plumber, Jan Willemsz van der Pluym, and his spouse, Jaapgen Carels. Rendered in a distinctly personal style atypical of Rembrandt, these depictions showcase the couple who were not only residents of the artist's native Leiden but also close acquaintances of his family. Renowned for his larger commissioned works for affluent patrons, these paintings stand as the smallest known portraits by the revered 17th-century Dutch master. The Holterman family acquired these rare artworks for over £11 million at a Christie's auction in July, subsequently placing them on a long-term loan to the Rijksmuseum.
"The Rijksmuseum possesses the world's most comprehensive and illustrious collection of Rembrandt paintings," proclaimed Henry Holterman, the current owner, in a statement. He expressed his conviction that these masterpieces rightfully belong within the museum's collection. To authenticate these works as genuine Rembrandts, Rijksmuseum experts employed a combination of X-ray imaging, infrared photography and paint sample analysis. The museum further noted that these portraits bear stylistic resemblance to other contemporaneous works by Rembrandt, particularly in the detailed construction of facial features and the artist's characteristic fluid brushwork.
With AFP
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