Rembrandt Discovery?

CNN World is reporting an oil on painting hanging in a Rotterdam museum (Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen) attributed to Barent Fabricius, a student of Rembrandt, may actually be by the master himself. The painting (see image)is entitled Tobias and his Wife is dated at 1659, and if authenticated as a Rembrandt may be worth $11 million. The previous insurance value was placed at $4 million as a Fabricius, and increased in value by $7 million as a Rembrandt. The attribution and increased value certainly shows the importance of the authentication process.

As can be expected, there is a debate on the true authentication of the painting. With past museum curators who researched the painting think it is not a Rembrandt, while Rembrandt expert Ernst van de Wetering believes it is.

An interesting article.

CNN reports

In the latest volume of "A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings," van de Wetering explained his reasons for believing that "Tobias and his Wife" is by Rembrandt. He argues that the painting bears stylistic similarities to an etching made by the artist in the same year. The attention to detail and the arrangement of the figures also swung him to the opinion it is genuine.

Van de Wetering is widely thought to be the most influential Rembrandt scholar in the world, and chairs the Rembrandt Research Project, which was set up in 1968.

Giltaj may not be convinced of his theory, but it is accepted in Old Master circles that when it comes to Rembrandt, whatever van de Wetering says, goes.

Paul Raison is head of Old Master paintings at Christie's auction house in London. He agreed that van de Wetering is the first port of call when it comes to verifying a Rembrandt.

Van de Wetering authenticated a portrait entitled "Portrait of a man, half-length, with his arms akimbo," which fetched $31.7 million (£20.2 million) at a sale at the London branch of the auction house last December.

Click HERE to read the full CNN article.