MNAR’s only clearly authenticated Rembrandt

The only clearly authenticated Rembrandt van Rijn painting in the National Art Museum of Romania (MNAR) is “Haman before Esther”. It is on permanent display in the European Art Gallery, in the room bearing the painter’s name, where are on permanent display two other works once thought to have been painted by him, but later attributed to his studio and school. These are Portrait of a Woman (attributed to the Rembrandt School) and David Cutting Saul’s Cloak (Rembrandt Workshop). Works attributed to the Rembrandt School are also held in the museum’s storerooms.

The original work, oil on canvas, of impressive size (236 x 186 cm), comes from the Collection of King Carol I. The painting was extensively restored at the Rijksmuseum in 1999, after which a study was published. The conservation work has brought the colors, their brilliance and details back to life.

“It’s the only Rembrandt in the MNAR that has been clearly authenticated, without a doubt,” art historian Mălina Conțu, head of the museum’s European Art section, emphasizes on “Haman before Esther”.

Conceived in the 1620s and completed in the 1660s, X-radiographs of the work revealed that Rembrandt changed his mind about the position of Esther’s face. It has been altered, having previously been far to the right of the painting.

It is characterized by the baroque style and the dramatic use of light and shadow, a technique called tenebrism, both of which Rembrandt skilfully used to achieve emotional depth.

This religious painting depicts a critical and tense moment in the biblical story of Esther. Haman, once an esteemed nobleman, is in a vulnerable position, pleading for his life. He is shown on his knees, holding out his hand to Esther, who stands – physically and symbolically – above him. Esther, the Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus, is depicted with a determined but thoughtful expression, suggesting the weight of Haman’s fate in her hands.

MNAR’s European Art Gallery can be visited from Wednesday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 to 19:00. Admission is free on the first Wednesday of every month.