It seems unlikely that anyone would find a lost Rembrandt painting, but that is what happened in New Jersey in September 2015. A 12 ½ by 10 inch oil on board painting pictured two men trying to revive a woman who had fainted with a handkerchief, no doubt with smelling salts. No one seemed to notice the painting (estimated at $500 to $800) before the sale and the first bid was $250. There were a few bids from the floor, then a battle of online European bidders erupted. Final price: $1,087,500. The painting had been identified as the work of Rembrandt. Title: “The Unconscious Patient, An Allegory of the Sense of Smell,” part of a series on the Five Senses painted about 1625.
I have a painting from Rembrandt that has been in my family home. I’m 57 years old and I have pictures of me as a child and the Rembrandt behind me. It was a few years ago when I saw that it was a Rembrandt. My brothers and I don’t know anything about it or where it came from.
But what happen in New Jersey could also happen in Nevada. If only you could help me find out.
Thank You
Amey
Was the auction house embarrassed or does this happen often? Seems so unlikely or maybe a publicity stunt??