14 DAY TRIAL // Britain's National Trust recently went public with the news that one of the paintings in its collection was in fact a Rembrandt self-portrait.
By the looks of it, the specialists who got the chance to study this painting in the past were quite convinced that the portrait was the work of one of Rembrandt’s pupils.
Still, a recent investigation carried out by Rembrandt expert Ernst van de Wetering has revealed that the painting is in fact a self-portrait pieced together by said Dutch painter.
“This portrait is now one of our most important works of art, and will be the only Rembrandt in the National Trust’s collection of approximately 13,500 paintings,” argued David Taylor, the current curator of paintings and sculpture.
Rembrandt’s self-portrait is presently displayed on the walls of Buckland Abbey in Devon. As the National Trust explains, this used to be the home of Sir Francis Drake, a seafarer who lived during the Elizabethan era.
“It’s amazing to think we might’ve had an actual Rembrandt hanging here on the walls at Buckland Abbey for the past couple of years.”
“Buckland’s Rembrandt is certain to become one of the many highlights of the property for visitors to enjoy,” the Property Manager at Buckland Abbey, Jez McDermott, told members of the press.
As noticeable in the picture next to this article, the painting shows Rembrandt wearing a black velvet cap adorned with two ostrich feathers. The Dutch painter is also wearing a decorated velvet cape and a gorget (i.e. a band of metal carefully wrapped around his neck).
The size of the portrait is of 91 x 72 cm (35.82 x 28.34 inches).
Despite the fact that the painting is estimated to be worth £20 million (roughly $30.22 million / €23.11 million), Britain's National Trust wished to make it quite clear that it would never be put up for sale.
In eight months' time, the painting is to leave Buckland Abbey in order for it to be cleaned and further analyzed by art experts. Rembrandt’s self-portrait is expected to go back on display at some point during 2014.