Former French "national treasure", a Rembrandt installed in the Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam unveiled Thursday its recent acquisition of Rembrandt's Standard Bearer, disputed for a time between Paris and The Hague before being bought for 175 million euros by the Netherlands. Formerly the property of the Rothschild family, the painting dating from 1636 had been declared a “National Treasure” by France when it was put up for sale and therefore subject to an export ban.

But the Louvre waived its right to purchase, failing to raise sufficient funds. It was then acquired in early 2022 by the Rijksmuseum. The Dutch state contributed €150 million to the purchase, with the Rembrandt Foundation and the Rijksmuseum Fund contributing fifteen and ten million euros respectively.

The work had been in the hands of private collectors for several centuries, including the Rothschild family, who had owned it since 1844.

"It is a party. It's not a homecoming, it's really the housewarming party for Rembrandt coming home after nearly 400 years,” said Taco Dibbits, director of the Rijksmuseum, at the time of the installation of the Holder. Standard in the Amsterdam Museum.

The master's self-portrait, which he painted when he was thirty, shows him in militia uniform, and hangs alongside his famous The Night Watch in the Rijksmuseum's honor gallery.

The Dutch Parliament approved the purchase of the painting in January 2022. Most political groups agreed with the government that the painting is a valuable addition to the public art collection of the Netherlands. But several parties have expressed reservations related to the time of purchase, while many players in the cultural sector suffered from health measures.

Considered by the Dutch government as "one of Rembrandt's absolute masterpieces" and "inextricably linked to the history of the Netherlands", the painting, before joining the Rijksmuseum, was loaned during these twelve months to several museums in the Netherlands.