New research at the Nationalmuseum has shown that a painting in the collections, earlier ascribed to an anonymous artist, can now be attributed to Carel Fabritius, one of Rembrandt’s pupils. The attribution and dating of the painting are based on stylistic analysis combined with technical examination of painting technique and materials. The painting, which shows a young man seated at a table with books, is currently undergoing conservation treatment and will be put on display in the museum in the autumn.
Carel Fabritius was a pupil of Rembrandt and is considered as one of the foremost artists of his generation. Only a small number of his works have been preserved. For many the name is familiar from the novel The Goldfinch by author Donna Tartt published in 2013, in which a painting by Fabritius plays a crucial role.
In 2012, the Nationalmuseum acquired a genre painting by an unknown artist from the circle of Rembrandt, Portrait of a youth at his studies (“The Student”), executed in oil on canvas. The painting’s provenance was well-known, having belonged to renowned Swedish art collections since the mid-18thcentury. While the motif and style of the painting can be associated with several contemporary works showing single figures in a domestic setting, the work could not be ascribed to a specific artist. The motif and iconography were extensively discussed in an article written by the curator Carina Fryklund in the 2012 issue of Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum Stockholm at the time of its acquisition.
Now the same art historian has been able to attribute the painting to the Dutch 17th-century artist Carel Fabritius (1622–1654). The attribution is based on new research involving stylistic analysis as well as technical examination of materials and painting technique, carried out in collaboration with paintings conservator Lena Dahlén of the Nationalmuseum. The painting has also been dated to the first half of the 1640s.
“The high artistic quality of the painting and its powerful impact had an immediate appeal when we first saw it in a Stockholm auction house in 2012. But it was only about a year ago that Carel Fabritius, Rembrandt’s most brilliant student, came to mind as its possible author”, says Carina Fryklund, “given the rarity of his surviving works “.
When the discovery was published in the latest issue of Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum Stockholm in May it was not long before Dutch media contacted the museum to spread the news of the rediscovery of a work by one of Holland’s great artists. At the same time, the painting is undergoing continuing technical investigation in the museum’s paintings conservation studio:
“The aim of the technical investigation is to contribute to a better understanding of the artist’s painting technique, and to identify any damage resulting from earlier conservation treatments. The interpretation of these findings will inform the choice of treatment method” says paintings conservator Lena Dahlén.
The plan is to be able to put Fabritius’ Portrait of a youth at his studies on display in the galleries in the autumn, together with works by Rembrandt and other 17th-century artists from the Nationalmuseum’s rich collections of works of this period.
The research project was made possible through the generous support of the Donor group of the Nationalmuseum. The acquisition of the painting was made with funds provided by the Wiros Fund.
Read the article about the discovery in the Art Bulletin vol. 28:2
For further information
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