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Lot Essay
THE ORIGINAL OF CIRCA 1639, ON PANEL, 57 X 64 CM, IS IN THE UFFIZI, FLORENCE (J. BRUYN ET.AL., A CORPUS OF REMBRANDT PAINTINGS, 1989, III, NOB11, PP.506-513, WITH ILL.). AND HAS BEEN CUT DOWN AT THE SIDES AND THE TOP, LEAVING ONLY THE F OF THE SIGNATURE. DUE TO THE MEDIOCRE CONDITION OF THE ORIGINAL, THE REMBRANDT RESEARCH PROJECT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO GUARANTEE REMBRANDT'S AUTHORSHIP. THE TRADITIONAL IDENTIFICATION OF THE SITTER AS REMBRANDT IS ALSO DOUBTED. NUMEROUS COPIES AFTER THE PICTURE ARE KNOWN. C. WRIGHT, REMBRANDT: SELF-PORTRAITS, 1982, P.40, NO14, LISTS AT LEAST FIVE COPIES AMONG WHICH ONE IN THE SPENCER CHURCHILL SALE, CHRISTIE'S LONDON, 25 FEBRUARY 1966, LOT 31, ILL.
THE SAME ARTIST PAINTED THE COPY AFTER DýRER'S SELF-PORTRAIT IN THE UFFIZI, WHICH WAS SOLD IN THESE ROOMS ON 8 OCTOBER 1997, LOT 28. BOTH THESE PROTOTYPES ARE PART OF THE GALLERY OF ARTIST'S SELF-PORTRAITS, FOUNDED IN 1664 BY CARDINAL LEOPOLDO DE' MEDICI. WHEN LEOPOLDO DIED IN 1675, HE HAD COLLECTED OVER 80 SELF-PORTRAITS, MOST OF THEM COMMISSIONED DIRECTLY FROM THE ARTISTS. AFTER 1675 GRAND DUKE COSIMO III CONTINUED HIS COLLECTING ACTIVITIES. THE COLLECTION WAS INCORPORATED IN THE UFFIZI IN 1681, EXPANDING THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES TO OVER 900 OBJECTS (SEE W.PRINZ, DIE SAMMLUNG DER SELBSTBILDNISSE IN DEN UFFIZIEN, 1971, PP.33 FF.).
THE SAME ARTIST PAINTED THE COPY AFTER DýRER'S SELF-PORTRAIT IN THE UFFIZI, WHICH WAS SOLD IN THESE ROOMS ON 8 OCTOBER 1997, LOT 28. BOTH THESE PROTOTYPES ARE PART OF THE GALLERY OF ARTIST'S SELF-PORTRAITS, FOUNDED IN 1664 BY CARDINAL LEOPOLDO DE' MEDICI. WHEN LEOPOLDO DIED IN 1675, HE HAD COLLECTED OVER 80 SELF-PORTRAITS, MOST OF THEM COMMISSIONED DIRECTLY FROM THE ARTISTS. AFTER 1675 GRAND DUKE COSIMO III CONTINUED HIS COLLECTING ACTIVITIES. THE COLLECTION WAS INCORPORATED IN THE UFFIZI IN 1681, EXPANDING THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES TO OVER 900 OBJECTS (SEE W.PRINZ, DIE SAMMLUNG DER SELBSTBILDNISSE IN DEN UFFIZIEN, 1971, PP.33 FF.).