Rembrandt-attributed painting sells for 9.3 million euros at London auction

A painting recently attributed to the Dutch master Rembrandt, titled 'Let the Children Come to Me,' fetched 9.3 million euros ($8 million pounds) at a Sotheby's auction in London. The artwork was the star lot of the 'Old Masters' sale, though its final price fell below the auction house's initial estimates of up to 14 million euros ($12 million pounds).

The piece, dating from around 1627, represents a scene from the Gospel of Luke and remains partially unfinished. This is the first time the painting has appeared on the market since its attribution to Rembrandt, placing it within his early period in Leiden. It was initially discovered in 2014 at another auction in Cologne, Germany, where it was sold as an anonymous 17th-century Dutch painting for 1.5 million euros.

“

What is fascinating about this work is that being unfinished allows us to glimpse the Dutch master's working process, from the composition to the sketch of the color and light.

Following its acquisition, experts noted stylistic similarities to Rembrandt's work. A decade-long restoration and cleaning process revealed that the painting had been altered by another artist. Notably, a turban on one figure was replaced with a traditional Dutch cap, and a nude child painted by Rembrandt was later dressed.

Sotheby's described the unfinished state as "fascinating," offering insight into Rembrandt's working process, from composition to color and light. The painting also includes portraits believed to be of Rembrandt's family members, with a self-portrait of the artist seemingly observing the scene from the upper right corner, according to Elizabeth Lopkovitz, head of Sotheby's Old Masters paintings in London.

“

Rembrandt also included portraits of his own family – like his father, mother, and other relatives – and in the upper right corner, a self-portrait of the painter himself can be seen 'peeking' into the composition.