When Charlotte Meyer contacted experts in Amsterdam, they were initially skeptical, but soon found that she had inherited a collection of 35 authentic Rembrandts.
Charlotte Meyer Collection/Stedelijk Museum ZutphenOne of the dozens of Rembrandt etchings that sat in a private collection in the Netherlands for years.
When Charlotte Meyer’s grandfather died, he left her a collection of etchings that he’d collected during the early 20th century. Meyer thought the prints were “beautiful,” but didn’t give them much thought over the years. It wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that she sat down and took a closer look at them — and, with the help of experts, ultimately discovered that they were actually the work of none other than Rembrandt.
Though the 17th-century Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn is best known for his paintings, he also created hundreds of etchings. Apparently, Meyer’s grandfather had been able to acquire 35 of them, which are now on display at the Stedelijke Museum Zutphen.
“A Beautiful Story”: The Lost Collection Of Rembrandt Etchings Found In The Netherlands
According to a report from the NL Times, Charlotte Meyer of Zutphen, Netherlands, inherited a folder of prints when her grandfather died. For years, the folder was tucked away and forgotten, but during the COVID-19 quarantine, Meyer took another look.
Stedelijk Museum ZutphenCharlotte Meyer, the Dutch woman who found 35 lost Rembrandt etchings that she’d inherited from her grandfather.
“They were nothing special. For just a few guilders, my grandfather bought 35 different ones,” Meyer explained. “My grandmother didn’t pay any attention to them. We kept them, but nobody really expected anything from them.”
She had always known the prints were beautiful, but as Meyer examined them more closely, she began to wonder if they were in fact something truly special. Though it’s unclear if Meyer’s grandfather had left behind a hint about the etchings’ provenance, or if Meyer did research therein on her own, Meyer ultimately contacted the Rembrandt House in Amsterdam to learn more.
Charlotte Meyer Collection/Stedelijk Museum ZutphenOne of the etchings from Meyer’s collection: Self-Portrait in a Fur Cap, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1630.
Experts from the Rembrandt house agreed to come see the collection, and were “completely blown away” by what Meyer showed them. As Meyer told NL Times, “They said, ‘Charlotte, you have no idea what you’ve got!'”
As it turned out, all 35 were created by Rembrandt.
In all, Rembrandt had produced hundreds of such etchings in his life, in addition to his more famous paintings. These etchings were largely purchased over the years by collectors and enthusiasts, like Meyer’s grandfather, who acquired his Rembrandt etchings between 1900 and 1920.
And it’s not the first time in recent years that Rembrandt van Rijn has been at the center of a big news story even though he died more than 350 years ago.
Rembrandt van Rijn Discoveries Over The Years
Born in Leiden, Netherlands in 1606, Rembrandt van Rijn began his artistic career around the age of 14, during an apprenticeship with another painter. After spending time in Amsterdam, Rembrandt began to establish a reputation as a painter of historical scenes and, later, portraits. Before his death in 1669, his most famous paintings included The Anatomy Lesson (1632), Danaë (1636), and The Night Watch (1642).
The Night Watch was the subject of another Rembrandt discovery in 2024, when a study of the famous painting detected the presence of arsenic. According to the study, arsenic helped give the uniform of the lieutenant figure, Willem van Ruytenburch, who is dressed in gold, its golden sheen.
Public DomainThe Night Watch by Rembrandt.
And in 2020, another surprising Rembrandt story hit the news when a museum in Pennsylvania discovered that a painting they’d had for decades — previously thought to be a Rembrandt “knockoff” made by one of his assistants or students — was actually an authentic piece painted by the artist himself.
As such, the 17th-century artist is still making headlines, even today. And Charlotte Meyer is thrilled that her grandfather’s collection of etchings, which sat forgotten for years, are now part of the larger Rembrandt story. Her etchings will soon be on display at the Stedelijk Museum Zutphen, alongside dozens of other etchings that she has collected.
“It’s such a beautiful story,” Meyer remarked, “one you can only dream about.”
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