An Angel with Titus Features by Rembrandt van Rijn
Rembrandt van Rijn or simply Rembrandt as he has become known today was active as a painter from 1620 until his death in 1669. He was a printer and a painter, showing an early skill for the craft. He was able to open his own studio at a very young age and was known to have created hundreds of paintings and etchings throughout his lifetime. He also had several periods where he explored different techniques and themes, but his work was always recognized for the skill and the emotion behind them.
It was in his later years that more and more biblical themes appeared in his works and it might have been around that time that he completed this piece. This elegant but soft piece evokes very strong emotions and portrays the skill that Rembrandt was known for. There is very little known about this piece even before World War II, however. This piece is cataloged by the Art Loss Register as missing due to the Nazi invasion of France.
This artwork was kept in chateau in the French countryside. There it was found by the Nazis and taken to Paris sometimes in 1943. It is believed then that this piece was set aside to become part of Hitler’s museum along with more than 300 other pieces of art that Hitler found to be worthy. It is well known that Hitler had great respect for the old masters and therefore would have wanted a Rembrandt in his museum. Even though 162 of the pieces that were slated for Hitler’s museum were recovered, there has been no sign of many of the others.