Rediscovered Rembrandt painting on display at Rijksmuseum from today

Vision of Zacharias in the Temple, a painting recently confirmed to be by the Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn, is on display in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam from today. The painting dates from 1633, when Rembrandt was only 27-years-old.

Vision of Zacharias in the Temple was excluded from Rembrandt’s oeuvre in 1960. It was bought by a private owner and disappeared from public view for decades. Two years ago, the current owner contacted the Rijksmuseum and agreed to have the museum’s researchers study the painting.

Using the same techniques they did to study Rembrandt’s Night Watch, the researchers determined that Vision of Zacharias in the Temple was indeed painted by the Dutch master.

The painting depicts a scene from a biblical story in which an angel tells the high priest Zacharias that he and his wife would have a son despite their advanced age, and that the son would be John the Baptist. The painting shows Zacharias looking surprised and incredulous, with light shining on him from the upper right corner.

According to the museum, Vision of Zacharias in the Temple fits seamlessly into Rembrandt’s other works around that time. The Dutch master painted several biblical scenes in the early 1630s, including Daniel and Cyrus Before the Idol Bel (1633), Simeon's Song of Praise (1631), and Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem (1630).

Vision of Zacharias in the Temple work is on long-term loan to the Rijksmuseum and will be on view to the public from today.

“It’s wonderful that people can now learn more about the young Rembrandt – he created this very poignant work shortly after moving from Leiden to Amsterdam,” said Rijksumseum director Taco Dibbits. “It is a beautiful example of the unique way Rembrandt depicts stories.”