Art: Rembrandt, restored ‘Christ and Children’ at auction tomorrow, estimate of over 13 million

Only apparently a biblical scene – Christ welcoming the children – the work today reveals itself to be a deeply personal construction. Rembrandt would in fact have included autobiographical elements of great importance, including a self-portrait and possible depictions of his parents, as well as perhaps his godparents and spiritual sister. A rare case in the artist’s production, who here brings together his family within a large sacred composition. According to scholars, the painting may have been created in the early years following Rembrandt’s return to Leiden after his apprenticeship with Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam, perhaps as a demonstration of his artistic abilities to his family.

The recent restoration also made it possible to remove subsequent interventions by an unknown hand, revealing fundamental parts of the original work. Among these, a significant discovery concerns the central figure of the scene, who originally wore a turban later replaced by a more conventional Dutch headdress. This detail opens up new interpretations. The presence of oriental figures, together with elements linked to the Christian and Jewish world, suggests a possible reflection on religious tolerance. In the context of the 17th century, marked by strong confessional tensions in the Netherlands, Rembrandt may have wanted to address the theme of coexistence between different faiths, also in light of his own mixed family origin. Art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon has also highlighted how the work fits into the context of the humanitarian crisis linked to the Thirty Years’ War and the arrival of thousands of refugees in the city of Leiden, transforming the evangelical scene into a broader meditation on compassion and welcome. The result is a painting that goes beyond the religious narrative: a work that, in light of the restoration, restores a young Rembrandt but already profoundly aware of the human and moral value of art. (by Paolo Martini)