The artwork, a 1632 oil painting on an oak panel, with the young artist at a time when he had recently settled in Amsterdam, is believed to be one of the last private self-portraits.
The portrait, painted in oil on an oak panel, was previously in the hands of a private collector. Credit: Rembrandt / Private Collector / Sotheby’s
Rembrandt was one of the first pioneers of the selfie. – The artist created over 80 paintings, prints, and drawings of himself, documenting his mood and appearance between the ages of 22 and 63, according to Sotheby’s.
In addition to creating self-portraits such as character studies and exercises to portray mood and light, Rembrandt was also producing the works, which often featured elaborate costumes, to sell to clients.
The artist probably painted his self-portraits to give prospective buyers an idea of how he would represent them if they commissioned a portrait, Sotheby’s said.
The work in question, which features the artist dressed in black, with a white frill and a black hat with gold trim, “is one of only two in which the artist represents himself dressed as a wealthy young man,” he said. Sotheby’s. .
The portrait, which overshadowed the auctioneer’s previous sale for $ 8.9 million from a Rembrandt self-portrait in 2003, was one of five lots that sold for more than $ 10 million in the virtual night sale, which featured works that span over 500 years. The sale price of the piece of £ 14.5 million included fees.
The best-selling item, Joan Miró’s “Femme au chapeau rouge” from 1927, fetched a whopping £ 22.3 million ($ 28.8 million) including fees, After an 11-minute bidding battle, the auction house added.
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