After Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn

Probably acquired by Prince Johann Adam Andreas I. of Liechtenstein (1657-1712) and certainly in the Liechtenstein collections by 1720.

V. Fanti, Descrizzione completa di tutto ciò che ritrovasi nella galleria di pittura e scultura di Sua Altezza Giuseppe Wenceslao del S.R.I. Principe Regnante della casa di Lichtenstein, Vienna 1767, p. 101, no. 502;
J. D. von Dalling, Description des Tableaux, et des Pièces de Sculpture, que renferme la Gallerie de son Altesse François Joseph Chef et Prince Regnant de la Maison de Liechtenstein, Vienna 1780, p. 29, no. 56;
Sammlungskatalog, manuscript, 1805, no. 392;
J. Falke, Katalog der Fürstlich Liechtensteinischen Bilder-Galerie im Gartenpalais der Rossau zu Wien, Vienna 1873, p. 22, no. 173;
J. Falke, Katalog der fürstlich Liechtensteinischen Bilder-Galerie im Gartenpalais der Rossau zu Wien, Vienna 1885, p. 14, no. 82;
W. Bode, Die Fürstlich Liechtenstein'sche Galerie in Wien, Vienna 1896, p. 59 (possibly by Aert de Gelder?);
W. Suida, Moderner Cicerone, Wien II, Stuttgart 1904, p. 99 (as c.1656);
C. Hofstede de Groot, Beschreibendes und kritisches Verzeichnis der Werke der hervorragendsten holländischen Maler des 17. Jahrhunderts, Esslingen-Paris-London 1907-1928, vol. 6, p. 251, no. 583;
A. Kronfeld, Führer durch die Fürstlich Liechtensteinsche Gemäldegalerie in Wien, Vienna 1931, p. 34, no. 82;
O. Sandner in Exhibition Catalogue, Meisterwerke der Malerei aus Privatsammlungen im Bodenseegebiet, Blomberg 1965, p. 64, no. 79, reproduced fig. 62;
G. Wilhelm in Exhibition Catalogue, Holländische Maler des 17. Jahrhunderts. Sammlungen Seiner Durchlaucht des Fürsten von Liechtenstein, Vaduz 1970, p. 18, no. 68;
G. Wilhelm, 'Die Fürsten von Liechtenstein und ihre Beziehungen zu Kunst und Wissenschaft' in Jahrbuch der Liechtensteinischen Kunstgesellschaft, 1976, p. 75.

The canvas has a firm relining which has somewhat flattened the paint surface which is otherwise in good condition under a yellowed varnish. Inspection under UV light reveals scattered old retouchings throughout. Offered in a stained wooden frame in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A copy from the late 17th or early 18th Century after Rembrandt's celebrated self-portrait of 1652, now in the Kunsthistorische Museum, Vienna (see H. Perry Chapman, Rembrandt's Self-Portraits. A Study in Seventeenth-Century Identity, Princeton 1990, p. 87, reproduced fig. 123). The original painting has been in the collection of the Gallery since at least 1720 so it is likely that the present work was painted in Vienna.