School of Rembrandt van Rijn

Laid down. Made up sections in lower right corner, and in body of standing figure towards right. Extensive light brown stains in the lower half, from oil or adhesive. Paper generally rather discoloured and somewhat abraded, but composition remains legible. Pinholes in both top corners.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This large compositional drawing, which despite its damaged state still conveys considerable grandeur and authority, must be a work of a talented Rembrandt pupil of the 1650s.  There are some similarities with the rare drawings of Arent de Gelder, but perhaps most comparable are four drawings (one in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, the other three in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) by an as yet unidentified pupil working in Rembrandt's studio at this time.¹  We are grateful to Martin Royalton-Kisch for kindly identifying the subject, and pointing out that it was treated by Rembrandt in a 1637 painting, in St. Petersburg.²

^1. For a full discussion of this artist, see Lee Hendrix, in Drawings by Rembrandt and His Pupils, Telling the Difference, exhib. cat., Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum, 2009-10, pp. 211-215

^2. Bredius 558; Rembrandt Research Project, A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings, vol. III, no. C88 (as a copy), and vol. VI, no. 151 (as Rembrandt)