In 1898, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam held an exhibition of paintings by the famous Dutch Golden Age artist Rembrandt (1606-1669). The exhibition includes a 23 x 19-inch oil painting entitled Vision of Zechariah in the Temple, completed in 1633, relatively early in the artist’s career. Fast forward to 1960, and the work is believed not to be actually by Rembrandt. Although in the past it was listed as part of his oeuvre, this is no longer the case. As a result, a private collector purchased it in 1961, and since then it has remained out of sight until now.
Experts and conservators of the Rijksmuseum were recently given the opportunity to re-evaluate its owner, spending two years studying the choice of pigments, structural materials, Rembrandt’s signature and date, the overall style and the subject matter. Techniques include X-raying the paint and dendrochronological testing of the wood panels to get a sense of age.
Macro scans also reveal the creative and technical choices the artist made while working. “An important piece of evidence that this painting is the work of Rembrandt lies in the changes he made during the painting process,” the museum said. “For example, the censer (incense burner) on the altar was originally larger. Such adjustments were characteristic of artists as they experimented and perfected their work. In contrast, scribes could copy the model exactly without any modifications.”
This scene depicts the high priest Zechariah telling the archangel Gabriel before his arrival that he and his wife would have a son, John the Baptist. Despite the darkness in the photo, a light in the upper right corner of the canvas indicates Gabriel’s imminent arrival. During this tense moment, Rembrandt used a narrative device called “staetveranderinge” in Dutch, which translates to “the change of state.” This was an element Rembrandt often incorporated into his paintings from this period.
The Rijksmuseum also recently spent five years thoroughly researching and restoring The Night Watch. If you’re in Amsterdam, “Zechariah’s Vision in the Temple” is on display today at the Rijksmuseum and will be on long-term loan. Find more information on the museum’s website.
