'Lost' painting reattributed to Rembrandt by Rijksmuseum's researchers

"Vision of Zacharias in the Temple (1633)-which depicts the story of the high priest Zacharias being told by the angel Gabriel that he and his aged wife will have a son, John the Baptist-has re-emerged from a private collection. It is, according to the Rijksmuseum's director Taco Dibbits, a "beautiful example" of the young Rembrandt's capacity for storytelling and illustrates the development of his sketch-like style."

"The 1633 painting was de-attributed in 1960, with significant doubts about the work's authenticity expressed by the scholar Horst Gerson in 1969 and the Rembrandt Research Project in 1986. However, modern scanning techniques have convinced the Rijksmuseum that the painting is by Rembrandt's hand."

"In an article in The Burlington Magazine, the Rijksmuseum's curator of 17th-century art Jonathan Bikker and paintings researcher Petria Noble argue that it has been "mistakenly excluded from Rembrandt's oeuvre since the mid-20th century on the basis of evaluation using photographic reproductions rather than first-hand examination.""

Vision of Zacharias in the Temple, a 1633 painting by Rembrandt, has been rediscovered from a private collection after being considered lost. The work depicts the angel Gabriel informing the high priest Zacharias that he and his wife will have a son, John the Baptist. De-attributed in 1960 and questioned by scholars through 1986, modern scanning techniques have now confirmed the painting's authenticity. Curators Jonathan Bikker and Petria Noble argue the work was mistakenly excluded from Rembrandt's body of work based on photographic reproductions rather than direct examination. The painting disappeared from public view in 1961 after being sold to a private collector, who later had it conserved. A similar work in Germany is believed to be a copy of this original Rembrandt.

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