Two “extraordinarily rare”, previously unknown Rembrandt paintings discovered
from: Sarah Polos, The hill
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(The Hill) – Two “extraordinarily rare” paintings by renowned Dutch artist Rembrandt Van Rijn have been discovered in a private collection and are now up for auction, where they are expected to fetch between $6 million and $10 million.
Henry Pettifer of British auction house Christie’s London discovered the oil paintings while conducting a routine appraisal of a family’s collection. The portraits, which show a couple from the Netherlands, date from 1635, notes Financial Times.
Pettifer said the works were previously unknown to art scholars and historians.
“It was extraordinary to me that the images had never been examined before,” Pettifer told the Times. “They were completely absent from Rembrandt literature.”
The family inherited the artwork, which was last purchased in 1824, and were unaware that the works were originals, notes Washington Post.
“The family liked the paintings but were never sure they were by Rembrandt and never really looked into them,” Pettifer told the outlet.
He added, “They sat quietly in that collection, practically hidden from any attention.”
The works have been authenticated by Christie’s and Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum and will be auctioned this July, where Pettifer expects to fetch over $6 million.
