Rembrandt's lost masterpiece sells for millions

A painting previously valued at a modest €11,000 is now set to be auctioned for almost a thousand times that amount. The Adoration of the Magi, which has remained virtually unseen since the 1950s, was recently identified as a work by Rembrandt van Rijn.

A painting that was previously worth a modest €11.000 is now about to be auctioned for almost a thousand times that amount. 'The Adoration of the Magi', a painting that has gone virtually unseen since the 50s, was recently identified as a work by Dutch grandmaster Rembrandt van Rijn.

The work was acquired in 1955 by a collector in Amsterdam. His widow sold it to a German family in 1985, where it remained until it was sold by Christie's in Amsterdam two years ago.

At the time of the sale, Christie's attributed the Biblical scene to the “Circle of Rembrandt,” suggesting it was executed by a student or an artist close to the famous painter. After thorough research, the auction house estimated the value at the time between €10.000 and €15.000. Ultimately it went under the hammer for €860.000. The winning bid came from a buyer who was very sure and believed that it was a real Rembrandt.

Good guess

It turned out to be a good gamble, as Sotheby's was commissioned to conduct new, thorough research. The auction house began an 18-month investigation to determine the true nature of the painting. There was close collaboration with Rembrandt experts, X-rays and infrared images were taken. After a year and a half there is some happy news. The painting is a Rembrandt after all. He made it early in his career around 1628, when he was about 22 years old. The value also goes up a lot; it is expected to generate between €11.5 and €17.3 million. In December, 'The Adoration of the Magi' will disappear under Sotheby's hammer.

Rediscovered Rembrandt: The Adoration Of The Kings To Be Offered At Sotheby's https://t.co/06Dd5jJZDR @Sothebys #Rembrandt pic.twitter.com/5GxnaVmTLj

— Artlyst (@Artlyst) October 5, 2023