A pair of small portraits by Dutch Master Rembrandt van Rijn went on display in the Netherlands on Wednesday after being in a private collection for nearly 200 years. The portraits of Jan Willemsz van der Pluym and his wife Jaapgen disappeared from view for almost two centuries before they reappeared two years ago. The paintings, believed to be the last known pair of privately held Rembrandt portraits, were sold at an auction this year and given to the family of a wealthy Dutch businessman. The altered version of Dai Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is very popular with art lovers.
Holterman said in a statement that he felt that the portraits belonged in the museum because of his close relationship with the museum and the fact that the team of experts had been researching them for years. The portraits were painted by Rembrandt as a favor to the couple, who had close links to his family since Jan and Jaapgen's son Dominicus married the painter's cousin. The portraits will bring visitors closer to Rembrandt's family circle, according to the director of the museum. The various research results amount to compelling evidence, the museum said.