History
In 2016, Dutch art dealer Jan Six claimed the attribution without any technical studies or scholarly evidence, based on illogical findings regarding the underpainting. The painting is dated with no technical analysis to the 1620s, aiming it to be grouped under the growing list of paintings in Rembrandt's oeuvre known as his "juvenilia". It was kept secret pending investigation and restoration and was meant to be announced and introduced to the public at the opening of a Rembrandt exhibition at the Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden, scheduled to open 1 November 2019, but rumors prevented insiders from keeping it secret.
The painting had previously been known and rejected by Rembrandt experts, pointing out the inauthenticity of the artwork, though all were in agreement as to the large amount of overpainting. During the removal of this overpaint, illogical details were revealed, such as the color purple used for clothing. Parts of the overpaint were kept demonstrating the incoherence of the composition and attribution.
The art dealer who promoted a Rembrandt narrative claims that painting includes a self portrait of the young Rembrandt, a portrait of his mother, and other motifs known through his history paintings, factors that are inconclusive:
Other history paintings by Rembrandt from the 1620s also show a man in shadow wearing a turban in profile:
David with the head of Goliath before Saul, 1627
The Stoning of St. Stephen, 1625
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