Another Duff Gig

A picture, newly attributed to Rembrandt, is to be displayed in the UK next year. He was a top-notch painter, no doubt about that. This one is said to be from the start of his career and the young man, who is staring nonchalantly out shown above Christ, Rembrandt himself.

It's a funny business, the art market. If this picture was attributed, as it was originally, to an unknown artist of the Netherlands school it might be worth a few hundred, maybe a few thousand pounds. With the magic of the name of Rembrandt it is probably up in the millions.

I refuse to be impressed just because it may (or may not) be by the great man. It seems fairly obvious that the figure depicting Christ is rolling his eyes despairingly, gazing up to Heaven and calling out to his agent "Oy, oy, more babies, what kind of audience is this, you promised me a decent crowd".

Pic: The Guardian (and heavily cropped)

And that is most definitely not a halo. It's a straw hat (only 3 shekels from Joshua and Sons, 52 Water Street, Jerusalem, hurry while stocks last, special discounts for Pharisees).