Arts
Alleged Rembrandt painting discovered in Maine attic sells for $1.4 million
“Portrait of a Girl,” a 17th-century work believed to be by the Dutch master, had been hiding in a home in Maine.
Updated 2024-Sep-30 03:34
A painting of a young woman in a black dress, a white cap and a white ruffled collar, mounted in a gold Dutch frame.
He mentioned that we have made some incredibly remarkable findings over time. I ve been doing this for a while now and I ve basically seen it all he said except for a Rembrandt.
How the painting ended up in a Maine attic in the 21st century from 17th century Netherlands is a mystery that may never be solved.
That s part of the intrigue Mr. However he mentioned It s fortunate that we discovered it. No one else would have known how to handle it.
There are only a few paintings by Rembrandt that are known. According to The Mauritshuis a museum in The Hague although he created more etchings and drawings Rembrandt only painted around 300 canvasses.
In 2018 Jan Six a Dutch art dealer revealed that a painting previously attributed to the Netherlandish School was actually by Rembrandt.
In 2023 another Rembrandt painting titled The Adoration of the Kings was sold at auction for nearly $14 million following confirmation by experts of its authenticity.
The attic long a repository of discarded toys and the like can sometimes turn up treasures. Late last month a painting that an auctioneer in Maine discovered and believed to be a work by the 17th century Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn was sold at auction for $1.
4 million. The artwork had apparently been stored in the attic of a farmhouse in Camden Me. For decades.
Kaja Veilleux the owner appraiser and auctioneer of Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Maine said he found the painting Portrait of a Young Girl on a routine house call.
It was among a stack of paintings that he came across while looking through the belongings of a wealthy family’s estate.
Mr. Veilleux said in a phone interview that he recognized Rembrandt’s style right away. The painting which shows the girl in a black dress with a white ruffled collar and a white cap is in pristine condition Mr.Veilleux said. The portrait was not signed which is not entirely unusual: Rembrandt did not sign all of his paintings.
The portrait was painted on a cradled oak panel and mounted in a hand carved gold Dutch frame according to the auction house.
A label on the back of the frame attributed the work to Rembrandt and said that it had been displayed in a 1970 exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Maggie Fairs a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia Museum of Art said in an email that the museum had looked into it but that it was too hard to confirm if and when the painting had been on display at the museum because of the decades that had passed.
Nine people bid on the painting which sold in August to an unknown European bidder for $1. 4 million making it the auction house’s most expensive painting ever sold.
The owners as well as the buyer remained anonymous. The painting could become more valuable if it is authenticated said Mark Winter an authentication expert who has been appraising art including by Rembrandt for more than two decades.
The person who bought the painting for $1. 4 million already got a great bargain Mr. Winter said in a phone interview.
The value of this painting is probably in the area of $15 million.
Prior to the verification process the artwork was worth approximately $17 000 two years ago. However it is still uncommon to find a perfectly preserved 17th century masterpiece in a Maine attic.
Winter an expert in authentication mentioned that his art authentication company regularly receives two to three photos each week for the past twenty years from individuals seeking confirmation if they own a genuine Rembrandt.
However he noted that new Rembrandt paintings are not uncovered on a daily basis. Veilleux a seasoned auctioneer encountered a Rembrandt for the first time in his career spanning over five decades.
Winter said that it appears highly reminiscent of a Rembrandt.
