Entitled “Vision of Zechariah in the Temple”, a new painting by the Dutch master Rembrandt was discovered by researchers at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the museum announced on Monday.
Thanks to advanced techniques, already used during the large-scale restoration of the painting “The Night Watch“, – also called “The Night Watch” -, by Rembrandt, museum researchers managed to authenticate the work painted in 1633, which comes from a private collection.
>> Also read this article from February 2025: The public renovation of Rembrandt’s “Night Watch” has entered a second phase
“Analysis of the materials, stylistic and thematic similarities, modifications made by Rembrandt and the overall quality of the painting confirm the conclusion that this painting is an authentic work by Rembrandt van Rijn,” the museum said in a statement.
“We always hope to find a new Rembrandt, but that rarely happens,” Taco Dibbits, director of the Rijksmuseum, told AFP.
Until 1960, the painting was excluded from Rembrandt’s oeuvre, but after several decades of neglect its current owner contacted the museum. “It was incredible that this painting, which we didn’t know existed, was sent to us by someone who wrote us an email asking if it was a Dutch painting, without really knowing what he had in his hands,” he continued.
“Typical of Rembrandt”
After two years of careful study including an analysis of the oak on which the work was painted, the color and thickness of the paint, the researchers concluded that the paintings used in “Vision of Zechariah in the Temple” were also present in contemporary works by the master of chiaroscuro.
“The way the painting was constructed, with these different layers, was typical of Rembrandt. It’s a dark painting and (…) Rembrandt, of course, plays a lot on the contrast between light and darkness,” Jonathan Bikker, curator at the Rijksmuseum, told AFP.
The painting depicts the high priest Zechariah, a biblical character, in relative darkness, his outlines and golden adornments illuminated by light coming from the upper right corner of the painting, representing the arrival of the archangel Gabriel.
“The idea is that the light shines on this work, and (…) all these golden touches that sparkle when the light shines on them,” describes Jonathan Bikker. According to Petria Noble, a researcher specializing in Rembrandt’s paintings, the work is in perfect harmony with the painter’s work at the same time, when he was 27 years old.
“The year 1633 marks the beginning of Rembrandt’s career in Amsterdam and he became very interested in biblical stories and history books,” she explains to AFP. “Everything fit together perfectly in terms of material and style,” concludes the researcher, who described this discovery as a “wonderful experience”.
The work will be exhibited to the public from March 4 and will be on long-term loan to the Rijksmuseum.
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