Art dealer and art historian Jan Six discovered a Rembrandt painting in 2016. It was all over the news this week. Imagine. You find it at an auction house, buy it for a minimal amount (in the case of a real Rembrandt), and the Rembrandt connaisseur tells you it’s the real deal. And then you have a painting worth millions. That’s cool.
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Finding a real Rembrandt painting is a very good way to safeguard your retirement fund. But Jan Six doesn’t have to worry about that and, besides, there’s something more profoundly meaningful about him finding this particular painting. Jan’s forefather, also called Jan Six, was a dear friend of mister Rembrandt himself. Jan Six was a prominent Amsterdammish high society figure, marrying the daughter of the mayor and becoming mayor of Amsterdam in 1691 himself. Having Rembrandt as a friend, Jan probably shared some of his acquaintances. Amsterdam counted only around 200.000 at the early 17th century, after all.
So imagine. You find a portrait by Rembrandt and the portrayed man could have been an acquaintance of your forefather. You’re looking at a face your forefather could have observed. You’re paying for the picture, owning a thing that could have been owned by your ancestor. Now, forget the pension fund. That’s seriously cool.
The painting will be displayed in museum the Hermitage in Amsterdam.
Photo by: Hermitage