Suspect "Rembrandt" sold for £2.2 million in English auction house

October 28, 2007

On Friday afternoon in Moore Allen & Innocent's Cirencester, England auction house a suspect "Rembrandt" painting was sold for £2.2 million, after being estimated by many experts at just £1,000 to £1,500. This is the most expensive Rembrandt to ever be sold in a provincial auction house in all England's auction history.

Bidding started at £4,500 and quickly galloped upwards, by the time it had reached £1 million bidding was rising in £100,000's. However by the £1.8 million mark had slowed down to increasing by £50,000 a time, by this point the pace had slowed remarkably, all 8 phone bidders had stopped and it was left between two people still in the room.

When the hammer went down a round of applause rose up, staff looked stunned to silence and the room quickly emptied with people calling friends to tell of the news. Considering the original owner of the piece had kept it in their family house for generations thinking it nothing but a copy by one of Rembrandt's pupils it was an amazing result. The buyer of the piece has been left anonymous even to the auctions owners however the 9.5 by 6.5 inch painting labeled "The Young Rembrandt as Democrates the Laughing Philosopher" is sure to now be tested for authenticity. If it is a true Rembrandt then the buyer will have a relative bargain as it will likely be worth in the region of £8-10 million.