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This Rare Rembrandt is on Display in Dubai (But You Have to Be Quick)

Image (L-R): H.E. Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture & Knowledge Development, George Gordon, Sotheby’s Co-Chairman Worldwide for Old Master Paintings & Drawings, Katia Nounou, Head of Sotheby’s Dubai and Edward Gibbs, Sotheby’s Chairman for the Middle East

HE Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture & Knowledge Development, George Gordon, Sotheby’s co-chairman worldwide for Old Master Paintings & Drawings, Katia Nounou, head of Sotheby’s Dubai, and Edward Gibbs, Sotheby’s chairman for the Middle East.

It’s an incredibly rare piece from one of the Old Masters, and you can currently gaze upon it for the first time in the region. “Study of the Head of a Young Man” by Rembrandt has been brought to Dubai by Sotheby’s, where it will sit on display until October 10. The masterpiece, painted circa 1650 by the Dutch artist, was unveiled on Monday evening, with HE Noura Al Kaabi, the UAE’s Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, in attendance.

The portrait, which until recently hung in the artist’s home in Amsterdam, can be viewed at Sotheby’s Dubai’s gallery in DIFC. The masterpiece, which is not well known outside of Rembrandt scholar circles, is part of a series of works using the same muse, a man that was “probably from the neighborhood in Amsterdam where the artist lived”, according to Sotheby’s. Rembrandt, who died in 1669, is revered for works such as “The Night Watch” and “The Return of the Prodigal Son”, and is cited as an inspiration to artists such as Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and Vincent van Gogh. “Study of the Head of a Young Man”, which had never been shown in the Middle East until this week, is estimated to fetch around US$6 million when it goes up for auction at Sotheby’s in London in December.

“We are pleased to witness the unveiling of Rembrandt’s masterpiece in the UAE, which is now recognized as a hub of all genres of art from classical to contemporary,” said HE Noura Al Kaabi regarding the work. “In the UAE, we continuously promote culture exchange and dialogue and appreciate the depth and history of painters from the Dutch Golden Age as much as we do our innovative conceptual artists from the region. The magic is when we, especially our young aspiring artists, find inspiration and beauty in what all cultures bring to the world.”

Now Read: 5 Upcoming Cultural Events Worth Clearing Your Calendar For

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