The Apostle Paul by Rembrandt (and Workshop?) at the National Gallery of Art, Washington: evolution and alteration

The Apostle Paul has undergone significant changes, both during its creation and in its later history. In 1999–2001, technical study clarified the painting’s complex history and aspects of Rembrandt’s authorship. In 2011, tests of near infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging further visualized the painting’s appearance during its creation. This paper suggests that the painting was a joint production by more than one artist, contributing to our understanding of collaboration in Rembrandt’s circle. A first composition by Rembrandt depicted a scholar in his study with a brown-black sketch and isolated bright colored underpaint details; the final painting was probably completed with the participation of the workshop, transforming the composition into an image of the apostle Paul. Conservation treatment removed a non-original, tinted varnish and overpaint, and inpainted the damaged background and non-original canvas inserts to return the painting as far as possible to its original effect, including the indistinct setting typical of Rembrandt’s late work.