European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Is it by Rembrandt or a Pupil Only the experts know for sure a amps file Quot the Man in a Golden helmet Quot is no longer attributed to Rembrandt who is shown in a self portrait at  Larry Thorson the associated press the Rembrandt experts speak and around the world owners of Rembrandt paintings tremble. Some change the labels but others resist. The process called Quot de attributing Quot Rembrandt began in the 1930s.it gained new attention this fall with the beginning of the three City tour of a major exhibition of works by the 17th-Century dutch master a and some that he apparently did not do. Quot we show the whole Rembrandt said Jan Kelch a ranking curator of the German National museums in Berlin the City where the tour began. Quot i think it s the biggest exhibition Ever held on  the exhibit which opens next month in Amsterdam the Netherlands and then moves to London in March includes nearly 50 certified Rembrandt and More than 30 paintings ascribed to members of the master s workshop some signed with his name. The exhibition finished its stay in Berlin earlier this month. Six Rembrandt each Are from the National gallery in London the Rijk museum in Amsterdam and Berlin s National collection. There Are Loans from 32 other museums and private Toller tors. Queen Elizabeth ii of Britain sent two Rembrandt and a painting that was considered a Rembrandt until 1980, when it was attributed to Isak Jou Derville. Losing a Rembrandt is a blow to the Art world and the Public. For years people take friends and relatives to see the Star of the local museum to Admire the master s touch with Light and Shade the tender feelings that Glimmer from dark canvases. Then the experts say Rembrandt s signature was put on a painting done by Gerbrand Van Den Eeckhout or someone else working for the real master Rembrandt Harmens Vanrijn. What to do curse the Art experts Start Loving Rembrandt s pupils this exhibition Rembrandt and his workshop is strengthened and weakened by both reactions. The Art Institute in Chicago for instance was Given a painting in i 894 called the Young woman at an open half door. It is signed Rembrandt and sometimes was thought to depict one of the two women who lived with the Painter after his wife died in 1642. Its authenticity came into question in the 19 >0s. The Chicago museum withdrew the Rembrandt Label several years ago Anil Lent the painting to the travelling exhibit to be shown As a work of Samuel Van Hoogstraten a Pupil of the master. The exhibition sponsors had to inform the lenders of their decision on acc edition and explain Why it was made Kelch said. Quot most were convinced Quot he said. Quot the exception was  the Staat Galerie in the Southern German City has a red toned self portrait labelled Rembrandt but Kelch and his colleagues believe it was painted by Cert de Gelder the master s last Pupil. The Stuttgart museum would not let the exhibit use the  it s a pity we could t have this painting Quot for the exhibit Kelch said. Quot All major students of Rembrandt Are represented except de Gelder. The gallery in Stuttgart still is convinced it is a  Christian von Holst Deputy director of the Stuttgart gallery said in a Telephone interview Quot in Stuttgart it is a  von Holst said the Way Art historians determine attribution could change. An artist s body of work May shrink under assault by the experts he said Quot then comes a new generation of Art historians and they say you were too strict Quot in 1986, Art lovers in Berlin were shocked by Kelch s decision to remove the Rembrandt Label from the Man in a Golden helmet. The painting is the main attraction of part ii of the exhibit about members of Rembrandt s workshop. Accompanying it is a Long explanation of How de attribution followed analysis of style and scientific research. A Ray techniques can reveal dark pigments in the under painting showing How a work was altered redesigned and built in stages. These Are invisible signs of an artist s style that help the experts decide the identity of the Painter. Like the Chicago painting Many former Rembrandt were signed with his name. Kelch said those who commissioned the canvases probably knew they weren t getting the master s work. It was Normal in the 1 7th Century Quot he said. Quot he was like others who had huge workshops with pupils who Learned his style worked for a while in his style and were engaged in huge production of Rembrandt paintings. It had to do with the great popularity of Rembrandt in his  Kelch said he expected the Rembrandt research project in Amsterdam to reduce the number of confirmed Rembrandt paintings eventually to about 240. It s a big drop from the 740 cited in a 1921 Rembrandt Catalon he said Quot but it is a lot compared with other artists. A Rembrandt and his workshop will appear in Amsterdam s i a museum from dec. 4 to March Jung n London s National gallery of Art from March 26 to May. File 8 stripes Magazine november 21, 1991