During the lockdown days of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizing drawers and getting rid of accumulated objects was a common activity in many households. For Dutchwoman Charlotte Meyer, that domestic task led to an extraordinary discovery: 35 original Rembrandt prints that had been stored away for nearly a century. These works, some of which are very small in size, were in excellent condition inside a family portfolio that Meyer decided to go through only in 2020. At first, the woman doubted the authenticity of the pieces and feared they might be forgeries, something common in the art market. However, experts who examined the collection confirmed that they were original prints by the 17th-century Dutch master, considered one of the great exponents of Western art. The discovery marked a turning point for Meyer, who has since expanded her collection to gather more than 70 works by Rembrandt and contemporary artists. Since March, the pieces—including the 35 inherited prints—are on display at the Stedelijk Museum in Zutphen under the title 'Rembrandt, From Dark to Light'. Meyer herself participates in guided tours focused on the symbolism present in the prints. Although the collector avoided revealing the economic value of the works, recent auctions confirm the high valuation of the artist. But for Charlotte Meyer, a Dutch woman, that domestic task led to an extraordinary discovery: 35 original Rembrandt prints that had remained stored for nearly a century. These works are exhibited in a museum in Zutphen, a city located 115 kilometers east of Amsterdam. The works had been inherited years after the death of her grandfather, who acquired them between 1900 and 1920 for just a few guilders, when the prints did not generate much interest among collectors. Of small format—some just a few centimeters—the works were in excellent condition inside a family folder that Meyer decided to review only in 2020. In a first instance, the woman doubted the authenticity of the pieces and feared they could be forgeries, something frequent in the art market. In December, a portrait dated around 1656 sold for 3.1 million pounds at Christie’s, while a drawing titled 'Young Lion Resting' reached 17.9 million dollars at Sotheby’s, record figures for works by the master in private hands. Meyer's case is not isolated. In recent years, other fortuitous findings of works linked to Rembrandt in family collections have become known, which demonstrates that, even centuries later, the artist's legacy can still appear in the most unexpected places.
Dutchwoman Finds 35 Rembrandt Prints in Family Archives
During the lockdown, Dutchwoman Charlotte Meyer discovered 35 original Rembrandt prints in a family portfolio. The works, stored for nearly a century, are now on display in a Zutphen museum. Experts confirmed their authenticity, and recent auctions showed the high value of the master's works.