The existence of the 17th-century work ‘Adoration of the Magi’ was first documented in 1714. It changed hands a few times since then until it disappeared from public view for a long time from 1822. It only reappeared in the 1950s when a well-known art collector from Amsterdam bought it.
German family
After his death, his widow sold the work to a German family, who kept it until two years ago. The painting was then auctioned by Christie’s auction house in Amsterdam. The value of the biblical scene was estimated at no more than 15,000 euros, because although it was said to be a work from Rembrandt’s entourage, it was not by the great master himself. Art experts still disagree about whether it is a real Rembrandt or not.
Yet the work was auctioned well above the expected yield: it already raised 860,000 euros in 2021. The then anonymous buyer put the work back on the market this week, now at Sotheby’s auction house in London. He assigned the work an estimated value of between 11.5 and 17.5 million euros. According to Sotheby’s, several Rembrandt experts have become convinced that it must be an unknown Rembrandt.
Sotheby’s believes that the work was painted around 1628 by the then young painter in Leiden. Rembrandt (1606 or 1607 -1669) must have been 21 or 22 years old at the time. Other experts just don’t know. Since 1960 it has been said that it was made possible by a student.
The painting, smaller than an A4 sheet, was touted by Sotheby’s as a unique opportunity for private collectors to own a Rembrandt, as the vast majority of his work hangs in museums around the world. It has not been announced where the painting will hang. The buyer remains anonymous as usual.
2023-12-07 07:49:01
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