Experts Peeling Varnish Off Painting Find A Stunning Secret Beneath

The 17th-century painting is incredibly precious, so the art conservators peel away layers of varnish from its surface with great caution. This artwork, Portrait of a Young Woman, is a beautiful example of the studio of Rembrandt – although it isn’t thought to have been created by the master himself. But as the conservators continue their meticulous cleaning, they discover something completely astonishing. And what they find is almost enough to turn art history on its head.

Time For A Cleanup

There’s no doubt that Portrait of a Young Woman is attractive. It’s very old, too, dating from 1632. But perhaps because the work wasn’t deemed to be important, it had languished in the collection of the Allentown Art Museum in Pennsylvania for nearly 60 years. In 2018, though, the painting finally got its moment in the sun when it was sent to New York University for a clean-up.

Local Art Enthusiasts

And there’s a reason why the Allentown Art Museum had a hold of the painting in the first place. The institution first came into being during the Great Depression, with local people – led by the artist and critic Walter Emerson Baum – all working to create a haven for culture in their little part of the Keystone State. To begin with, this modest space exhibited works by mostly Pennsylvanian artists. But in the 1960s, there was a dramatic upswing in the museum’s fortunes.

The Kress Foundation

That was when the Kress Foundation – founded by American businessman and philanthropist Samuel Kress – made a stunning donation to the museum’s collections. The organization donated no fewer than 53 paintings from the Renaissance era – a massive upgrade. And this donation motivated the good folk of Allentown to move the institution to a much grander home in the city, where it still stands today.

Kind Of A Big Deal

As you may have already guessed, one of the paintings that the Kress Foundation passed on to the Allentown Art Museum was Portrait of a Young Woman. This was a big deal, as at the time the work was attributed to Rembrandt. Unfortunately, though, in 1970 art experts in the Netherlands re-examined the painting and came to a devastating conclusion: it had in fact been created by a mere assistant of Rembrandt.