270. My Rembrandt; movie review

 

MY REMBRANDT

Cert 12A

97 mins

BBFC advice: Infrequent strong language

Imagine trying to maintain a poker face at an auction, knowing that the item on which you are bidding is worth huge amounts more than its listed price.

This was the scene in which Amsterdam art dealer Jan Six found himself because he believed a painting being sold at Christie's was a Rembrandt.

Indeed, it transpired to be the first newly discovered work by the old master in 44 years.

But with the international hubbub surrounding Six's moment of glory comes a controversy which has made the art world tingle.

Six's story is all the more fascinating because he is a direct descendant of one of Rembrandt's circle - the original Jan Six.

He runs his business with his dad, inevitably also called Jan Six, and his amazing find was the moment he proved his worth to him and their industry.

Oeke Hoogendijk's documentary puts the tale of Six into the context of the appreciation of Rembrandt's work in the modern-day.

For example, it shows the not-so-friendly competition between The Netherlands and France over two paintings which came on the market after centuries in a Paris mansion.

It also demonstrates the care which the ultra-rich Duke of Buccleuch takes in re-housing his favourite painting.

Meanwhile, My Rembrandt shows how his work can be identified and introduces collectors who are desperate to own his paintings.

Make no mistake, this is a movie about very wealthy people who move out the normal stratosphere but the out-of-reach often makes for alluring viewing.

We love to see how the other half conduct themselves and, as is demonstrated by the cut-throat world of art, it is not always gentlemanly or even by the rules.

Reasons to watch: A delve into the high-brow but ruthless art world.

Reasons to avoid: Drifts off into connoisseur territory

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? The artist's full name was Rembrant Harmenszoon van Rijn. Harmenszoon means that his father’s name was Harmen and van Rijn refers to where his family lived, near the Rhine River.  For unclear reasons, he added the silent “d” to his signature, changing it from Rembrant to Rembrandt, in 1633.

The final word. Oeke Hoogendijk: "My original intention was to make a plot-directed film about the world of the Old Masters, particularly the Rembrandts. But when I met Jan Six, he was a godsend and the centrepiece of everything, and also the descendant of a man who was a close friend of Rembrandt himself." Eye International

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