Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
They are the ultimate power couple of the Golden Age: Marten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit, two wealthy Amsterdamers who hired Rembrandt van Rijn, the most celebrated painter of his time, to immortalize them in oil on canvas. The result was a pair of stunning portraits, measuring over two meters high, that showcase Rembrandt’s mastery of light, shadow, and texture. The paintings, which have been described as “the marriage pendant of the century” by the Rijksmuseum’s director Taco Dibbits, are also among the rarest and most valuable works by the Dutch artist. Only three other full-length portraits by Rembrandt are known to exist, and none of them are in public collections.
But for centuries, the identity and whereabouts of the sitters and their portraits were shrouded in mystery. The paintings were first recorded in the inventory of Oopjen’s son-in-law in 1716, and then passed through various private hands in France and England. They were last seen in public in 1956, when they were exhibited at the Cognacq-Jay Museum in Paris. The paintings were then owned by the Rothschild family, who kept them hidden from view until 2015, when they decided to sell them to the Rijksmuseum and the Louvre for a record-breaking sum of €160 million (about $178 million).
The acquisition was hailed as a historic achievement for both museums, who agreed to share the ownership and display of the paintings. But before the portraits could be shown to the public, they had to undergo a meticulous process of restoration and research, which took six years to complete. The paintings were first examined by a team of experts from both museums, using advanced techniques such as X-ray, infrared, and macro-XRF scanning. The scans revealed that the paintings had been altered and damaged over time, and that Rembrandt had made several changes to his original design. For example, he had initially painted Marten with a sword, but later replaced it with a glove. He had also added a lace collar to Oopjen’s dress, and a pearl earring to her ear.
The restoration team then carefully removed the layers of dirt, varnish, and overpaint that had accumulated on the paintings, and repaired the cracks and tears that had occurred due to improper handling and storage. The team also filled in the missing or damaged areas with reversible materials, and applied a thin layer of protective varnish. The result was a stunning transformation that revealed the original colors, details, and textures of Rembrandt’s brushwork. The paintings now look as fresh and vibrant as they did when they left Rembrandt’s studio in 1634.
The restored portraits were unveiled to the public at the Rijksmuseum on October 5, 2021, as part of a special exhibition titled “Rembrandt-Velázquez: Dutch and Spanish Masters”. The exhibition, which runs until January 19, 2022, features 60 paintings by Rembrandt and his Spanish contemporary Diego Velázquez, as well as other artists from both countries. The exhibition aims to explore the similarities and differences between the two artistic traditions, and to highlight the influence and exchange of ideas that occurred between them.
The portraits of Marten and Oopjen are the centerpiece of the exhibition, and the main attraction for visitors. They are also a testament to the enduring appeal and relevance of Rembrandt, who continues to fascinate and inspire audiences around the world. As Dibbits said, “Rembrandt is one of the greatest storytellers in the history of art. He makes you feel as if you are standing in front of real people, who want to tell you their story.”2
