In 1898, Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum staged an exhibition of paintings by renowned Dutch Golden Age artist Rembrandt (1606-1669). Included in this show was a 23-by-19-inch oil painting titled “Vision of Zacharias in the Temple,” which was completed in 1633, relatively early in the artist’s career. Fast-forward to 1960, and the work was deemed to have not actually been made by Rembrandt. Despite that in the past it had been catalogued as part of his oeuvre, that was no longer the case. So, a private collector purchased it in 1961, from which point on, it remained out of sight—until now.
Experts and conservators at the Rijksmuseum, which was recently granted the opportunity to reassess the painting by its owner, spent two years investigating the pigments, structural materials, Rembrandt’s signature and date, the overall style, and the choice of subject matter. Techniques included X-raying the paint and conducting dendrochronology tests on the wooden panels to get a sense of age.
Macro scans also revealed insights into the artist’s creative and technical choices as he worked. “An important piece of evidence that the painting is by Rembrandt lies in the changes he made during the painting process,” the museum says. “For example, the censer [an incense burner] on the altar was originally larger. Such adjustments are characteristic of an artist who is experimenting and refining his work. A copyist, by contrast, would have reproduced the model exactly, without making alterations.”
The scene depicts the high priest Zacharias at the moment just before the archangel Gabriel arrives to tell him that he and his wife will have a son, John the Baptist. Though dim in photographs, a light in the upper right corner of the canvas indicates Gabriel’s imminent arrival. In this charged moment, Rembrandt uses a narrative device known in Dutch as “staetveranderinge,” which translates to “changes of state.” It’s an element Rembrandt often incorporated in his paintings around this time.
The Rijksmuseum also recently spent five years thoroughly researching and restoring “The Night Watch.” If you’re in Amsterdam, “Vision of Zacharias in the Temple” goes on view today at the Rijksmuseum, where it will remain on long-term loan. Find more on the museum’s website.
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