The Mauritius museum in The Hague mentioned three work in its assortment that have been attributed to Rembrandt have been, in truth, merely copies achieved within the Dutch artist’s type.
The copies are Portrait of Rembrandt with a Gorget (ca. 1629), Examine of an Outdated Man (ca. 1655–60) and ‘Tronie’ of an Outdated Man (ca. 1630), in response to a press release from the museum launched on April 17.
The museum has 11 items at the moment attributed to Rembrandt, together with the famed Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp (1632). The museum additionally has artworks that have been bought as Rembrandts, however have since been written off or had their authenticity questioned. There at the moment are seven of those works, they usually embrace Portrait of Rembrandt with a Gorget, Examine of an Outdated Man and ‘Tronie’ of an Outdated Man, which have been reexamined and restored.
Portrait of Rembrandt with a Gorget was first found to be a replica of an early self-portrait by Rembrandt in 1999. The Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, Germany, owns the real Rembrandt. Specialists are nonetheless not sure of who painted the portray, which was acquired by Stadtholder William V in 1768.
Examine of an Outdated Man was bought by the museum in 1891. After being restored and examined, the signature “Rembrandt f” was discovered to be “virtually actually real,” however the picture was by one of many artist’s workers.
“In work by Rembrandt, each brushstroke is excellent, however that isn’t the case right here,” the museum wrote. “The work seems ‘awkward’, as if a pupil had achieved their greatest to mimic the grasp. The eyes are patchy, and the nostril isn’t clearly outlined. Within the decrease layers, there are thick strains alongside the person’s chin, a correction within the portray course of. It could have been Rembrandt himself correcting the work of his pupil.”
Abraham Bredius, director of the Mauritshuis, purchased ‘Tronie’ of an Outdated Man for his personal assortment in 1892. Nonetheless, Bredius loaned it to the museum, the place it was displayed.
Whereas it was beforehand attributed to Rembrandt, consultants had doubts. New analysis confirmed the panel was “extremely possible” painted on the artist’s studio, and an X-ray confirmed that the painter of the picture made modifications through the portray course of, one thing that didn’t happen with copies. Whereas there are components of Rembrandt’s work, the background of ‘Tronie’ of an Outdated Man was overpainted with paint the artist didn’t use throughout this era.
In the end, the museum’s consultants mentioned ‘Tronie’ of an Outdated Man might have been painted by a pupil or worker of Rembrandt, or by the grasp himself.
The museum’s analysis is now a part of the brand new exhibit “Rembrandt?,” on show till July 13.
