A Rembrandt canvas previously believed to be lost has been able to be attributed, with certainty, to the Dutch master. The painting, one of the painter's early works resurfaced last year during an auction in the US, reports the news broadcast of the Nieuwsuur on the state broadcasting channel which will show pictures of the canvas entitled 'De flauwgevallen patiënt (De Reuk)', known in English as “Triple portrait with lady fainting”, on Wednesday evening
“There is absolutely no element of doubt. The painting can be attributed with 100 percent certainty to Rembrandt,” the expert Ernst van de Wetering explains in the broadcast.
The Parisian Galerie Talabardon & Gautier is showing the work during the annual art and antiques exhibition in Maastricht (TEFAF). The panel which measures 21.6 cm by 17.8 cm was painted by Rembrandt when he was 18 or 19 years old.
'De Reuk' (The Sense of Smell) belongs to a series of paintings illustrating the five senses. The canvas depicts a surgeon reviving his patient after a bloodletting, by making him inhale a cloth soaked in ammonia.
For a long time the painting belonged to a particular New Jersey inhabitant. Knowing nothing about the painting, the latter offered it to an auction house, who included it in its catalogue under the hazy title “European School of Art - 19th Century” When the auction price started to rocket, it became evident that an outstanding piece of art was at stake. The Talabardon & Gautier gallery then acquired the painting. After being subjected to both cleaning and extensive evaluation expertise, the painting was attributed to Rembrandt, according to Nieuwsuur.
'De Reuk' is now owned by a private New York collector, whose collection includes nearly 200 17th century painters.
(Source: Belga)
