Featured Did I just find a Rembrandt Van Rijn on garage sale?

Well, if your etching's watermark is the the same as the one you found on eBay, just in a different location on the sheet, I think it may have come from this publication ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Portfolio

Here's a link that connects the publication and the watermark ...
https://www.artoftheprint.com/artis...nd-made, laid,Paxman Brandard 'E. P. Brandard'.

 

Yeah, I agree with you. I lost my thread in the excitement and some of the information in the opening post was wrong. Sorry about that.

I'll add plenty more pictures when it arrives in a couple of days including one where i'll shine through the paper with a lightsource and then the watermark should pop for us.

 

In the meantime I acquired some interesting pictures...

"Rembrandt" up top here.

 

Close up of seemingly hand written inscriptions. Craziest part is that it seems to closely resemble his known handwriting when I compare......

 

And the watermark through the picture. From left to right it seems the first two letters are A,R in kind of old style. Then O(?), H, something, S?

 

Not the best editing but does this help?

 

Beautiful, thank you!

 

What I thought was an O might be a C or G or? Then its clear an H follows that and then E S perhaps?

Anyone agree with me that it looks like old script or am I off in that assessment?

 

I think it says Arches, which I think is a type of laid paper.

 

Yes, I agree. ARCHES is a paper producer I see and "Rembrandt + Arches paper" bring up quite a few results. Probably indicates its a newer strike unfortunately but should be a real Rembrandt at least.

Though they did produce papers back to the 16th century it seems.

 

I have reached out to Arches and asked they if they can determine what time-period that particular watermark was used.

 

Arches is a well known maker of fine artists' papers, including modern versions of laid paper.

On their website, Arches presents a chronology that includes the watermark used during the relevant period -

https://arches-papers.com/who-is-arches/history-arches/

While I generally avoid AI results, I think their summary here is spot on -

 

I can unfortunately only see one watermark, the rest is just other pictures.

 

Amand Durand was pretty good ar karking his prints. The

The backs usually have a stamp:



I don't trust my eyes anymore, but I do see a watermark, though I cannot read it:



I also think I see fine horizontal laid lines:


If it was original, it would have to be on laid paper, but it's no guarantee. You can buy hand made laid paper today, and you can buy machine made paper impressed with a laid pattern.