The Pounds 1,000 Rembrandt That Went for Pounds 2.2m

Oct 27, 06:03 PM

Current Headlines: By Luke Salkeld

THERE was never any doubt about the subject of Lot 377, a portrait of Rembrandt.

But the auctioneers who valued it at Pounds 1,000, were a little less certain about the identity of the artist.

The previous owners thought it might be a self-portrait by the Dutch master, but had been told by experts that it was the work of his contemporaries.

Obviously, the bidder who paid Pounds 2.2million for the work yesterday was in no doubt that it came from the brush of the man himself.

The 17th century piece, 'The Young Rembrandt as Democrates - the Laughing Philosopher', has been in a house in the Cotswolds for 50 years.

Because the seller could not prove it was a genuine Rembrandt, it was listed with a guide price of Pounds 1,000 to Pounds 1,500.

But speculation mounted in the international art world and several collectors identified it as the genuine article.

This led to frenzied bidding at the small auction house in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, with bidders taking just 15 minutes to reach the final price.

The head auctioneer at Moore, Allen and Innocent Auctioneers, Philip Allwood, 42, said the atmosphere in the room was electric.

He added: 'The buyer must be pretty confident.

'To think all this time a historical gem had been hanging undiscovered on someone's drawing room wall.' Expert Charles Dupplin, of specialist art insurers Hiscox, said Rembrandt's paintings are difficult to identify because he rarely painted the whole piece himself..

'Hanging undiscovered'

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