"Portrait of a Girl" Rembrandt painting discovered in a screed sold at auction for 1.2 million francs

dpa

5.9.2024 - 00:00

The painting "Portrait of a Girl" by the Dutch artist Rembrandt from the 17th century was lying in a screed.
The painting "Portrait of a Girl" by the Dutch artist Rembrandt from the 17th century was lying in a screed.
Bild: Uncredited/Thomaston Place Auction Galleries/AP

An art appraiser found the painting "Portrait of a Girl" by the famous Dutch painter Rembrandt in a screed in the USA. It has now been sold at auction for almost 1.2 million francs.

dpa

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  • The painting "Portrait of a Girl" by the Dutch Baroque artist Rembrandt fetched almost 1.2 million francs at auction.
  • The art appraiser and auctioneer Kaja Veilleux explains that he found the 17th century painting in a screed.
  • Veilleux discovered the famous painter's work in an estate in the US state of Maine.

This art treasure was gathering dust in the screed - and has now been sold for millions: A Rembrandt painting discovered in the attic has been bought at auction for 1.4 million dollars (around 1.19 million Swiss francs).

The art appraiser and auctioneer Kaja Veilleux said that he had found the 17th century work "Portrait of a Girl" on an estate in Camden, Maine. It was painted on an oak panel and framed in a hand-carved Dutch gold frame. At the auction held by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries at the end of August, it triggered a fierce bidding war. The winning bid was placed by a European collector.

Auctioneer: "The house was full of wonderful pieces"

Veilleux said he had been asked to visit the property and had no idea what he would come across. "The house was full of wonderful pieces. But in the attic, among piles of artwork, we found this remarkable portrait," he said.

A label on the back of the frame stated that the painting had been loaned to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for an exhibition in 1970.

Born in 1606, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is one of the most famous Dutch Baroque artists who focused on a variety of subjects, from portraits and landscapes to historical and biblical scenes. He died in 1669.

dpa