Abstract
The authenticity of this painting was never doubted in the literature until 1986, when Tümpel attributed it to an anonymous follower of Rembrandt.1 Prior to that, discussions of the painting had focused exclusively on its supposedly poor condition. This entry takes a closer look at the painting’s condition and examines the issue of attribution.
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Notes
Tümpel 1986, cat. no. A 71.
F. Winkler, ‘Echt, falsch, verfälscht’, Kunstchronik 10 (1957), pp. 141–147, esp. 143: ‘Ohne die Frische des Striches, die man bei der bedeutenden Anlage in einem Spätwerk erwarten muss, zu stark gebügelt, mit stumpfem Firnis und toten Augen, uninteressant in den beschatteten Teilen, fühlt man sich versucht, es als eine schöne Ruine zu bezeichnen’.
Gerson 320.
As appears from several prints made in 1776 under the direction of Christian von Mechel, in which the arrangement of the paintings on the wall of the various rooms is depicted, the Portrait of Rembrandt no longer hung with the paintings of the Passion series. On this, see: N. de Pigage, La Galerie électorale de Düsseldorf ou catalogue raisonné et figuré de ses tableaux (…), Basle 1778. The Portrait of Rembrandt is found under ‘les Tableaux mobiles’ (no. 295, Pl. XXIII).
A series of 15 ‘misterien’ paintings by Adriaen van der Werff, also made for Johann Wilhelm, is interesting in this connection. This series was preceded by a painting in which the noble couple is surrounded by the seven Liberal Arts, and in which is included a self-portrait of the artist in the foreground. The Elector did not commission this painting. Van der Werff made it after the death of Johann Wilhelm — and after the entire series had been completed. In 1718, Van der Werff tried to sell it to Wilhelm’s successor Carl Philipp, and in a letter he noted that: ‘het werk van de 15 misterienal bereytsaan U UKD hoff berustende is, maar dat ook daar nog aan mankeerd, om voltoyt te zyn, en om in volkome perfectie te hebben, het 16de stuk, bestaande in de tytelplaat … ook het pourtret van mijnzelve welk nog aen Ceuv. hof niet gevonden worden’ (the work of the 15 ‘misterien’ already at your Royal Serene Highness ‘court, in order to be complete and fully perfect is missing the 16th piece, existing in the title plate … and includes my portrait which is not yet to be found at the Electoral court). From this information, one has the impression that the completion of a series of related paintings with a self-portrait of the maker of the series was not unusual in the beginning of the 18th century. On this, see: B. Gaehtgens, Adriaen van der Werff 1659–1722, Munich 1987, cat. no. 41, pp. 261–263.
J. Reynolds, ‘A journey to Flanders and Holland in the year MDCCLXXXF’, The works of Sir Joshua Reynolds…; ed. E. Malone, London 18094, II, pp. 375–376.
Should Hess’s print of 1778 (see 4. Graphic reproductions, 1), in which the top of the painting is reproduced as semi-circular, correctly reproduce the painting, then the format was reduced after 1778. However, it is also possible that the painting was already reduced in 1778 and that the engraver did not faithfully follow the model. The painting was in fact described with its present dimensions in 1778 by La Galerie électorale de Düsseldorf ou catalogue raisonné et figuré de ses tableaux (…), Basle 1778. The Portrait of Rembrandt is found under ‘les Tableaux mobiles’ (no., Pl. XXIII) op. cit.4, no. 295; ‘Peint sur bois. Haut de 2 pieds, 6 pouces; large de 2 pieds, 1 pouce’ [= app. 81.2 × 67.7 cm]. This means that after the mention in 1719, the painting was reduced in height by app. 5 cm and in width by app. 6 cm.
Enrique Valdivieso, Pintura Holandesa del siglo XVII en España, Valladolid 1973, p. 347.
Cat. Die Gemäldegalerie des Kunsthistorischen Museums in Wien. Verzeichnis der Gemälde, Vienna 1991, p. 99.
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© 2005 Stichting Foundation Rembrandt Research Project
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(2005). ’self-portrait’. In: A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings. Rembrandt Research Project Foundation, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4441-0_16
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