Smallest formal portraits by Rembrandt rediscovered
The smallest formal portraits made by Rembrandt have been rediscovered and put on display at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Jan and Jaapgen portraits unveiled
Small oval portraits of Jan and Jaapgen, a wealthy slater and plumber from Leiden, have resurfaced after nearly 200 years. The paintings, valued at $14.2 million, have been accepted as part of Rembrandt's work and are now on a long-term loan at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. They were originally owned by a private family.
Jonathan Bikker, the curator of 17th-century Dutch painting at the museum, expressed his excitement, stating, 'Totally unknown works hardly ever happen. We really wanted to be able to show them.'
Attribution confirmed through research
After extensive research, the Rijksmuseum formally established the attribution of the portraits to Rembrandt. Various tests, including X-radiography, infrared photography, reflectography, macro X-ray fluorescence, stereomicroscopy, and paint sample analysis, provided compelling evidence.
Bikker explained that the style, paint, and alterations of the portraits matched Rembrandt's hand. The presence of 'pentimenti' and small changes during the painting process were indicative of Rembrandt's work rather than that of a copyist.
Connection to Rembrandt's family
The Van der Pluym family, to whom the portraits belonged, had a close relationship with Rembrandt's family. Collector Henry Holterman, who acquired the paintings, has loaned them to the Rijksmuseum as a recognition of their research efforts.
Taco Dibbits, the director of the Rijksmuseum, expressed his enthusiasm for the loan, stating, 'Jan and Jaapgen will bring visitors closer to Rembrandt's family circle. It is wonderful that the paintings are being entrusted to the Rijksmuseum so that millions of people can enjoy them.'
