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The most expensive Rembrandts: paintings, drawings and prints at auction
From the 20.2 million pounds of a large late portrait to the $17.86 million of a lion drawing: what records actually say about rarity, attribution and condition.
Results verified through August 2026 · price with fees when published as such
The ranking of paintings sold publicly
Comparing prices requires a constant rule. The amounts below are the results published by auction houses, generally buyer's fees included. Historical conversions should not be recalculated with the current rate: they describe the value announced on the day of the sale.
Portrait of a man, hands on hips
Sale price: £20,201,250 including fees - Christie's London, 2009
Painted in 1658, oil on canvas, 107.4 × 87 cm. The model remains unidentified. The work, rarely shown for forty years, concentrates the qualities sought after by the late Rembrandt: monumental presence, free paste, warm light and ancient provenance.
Saint James the Greater
Sale price: US$25.8 million including fees - Sotheby's New York, 2007
This figure of apostle dated 1661 belongs to the last period. Its religious subject, recognized autography and the rarity of a great painting still negotiable explain the result. In 2009 books, the portrait record nevertheless remains higher.
Self-portrait with strawberry and black hat
Sale price: £14,549,400 including fees - Sotheby's London, 2020
This small panel measuring 21.8 × 16.3 cm, signed and dated 1632, set a record for a self-portrait by Rembrandt. Its almost miniature size does not reduce its value: very few authentic painted self-portraits remain in private hands.
Jan Willemsz van der Pluym and Jaapgen Carels
Pair sale price: £11,235,000 including fees - Christie's London, 2023
Two portraits of 19.9 × 16.5 cm, signed and dated 1635, rediscovered after almost two centuries in the same collection. Their file was studied scientifically at the Rijksmuseum before the sale. The result exceeded the estimate by 5 to 8 million pounds.
Study of a young man in praying Christ
Sale price: £9,480,800 including fees - Sotheby's London, 2018
Painted around 1648 -1656, this study of heads and joined hands was acquired by the Louvre Abu Dhabi. The result shows that a small format study can exceed large portraits when attribution, quality and museum destination converge.
Portrait of a young woman in a black hat
Sale price: US$9 million including fees - Sotheby's New York, 2007
The result published by Sotheby's recalls the appeal of female portraits from the early 1630s. Several portraits of young women exist: the exact identification of the lot must always be based on the catalog, its dimensions and its provenance.
New record 2026
Why is an 11.5 × 15 cm drawing worth $17.86 million
On February 4, 2026, Sotheby's New York sold the Young Lion at rest for 17,860,000 US dollars, in an estimate of 15 to 20 million. This is the record for a drawing by Rembrandt, well above the old high of 3.7 million dollars established in 2000.
The price does not depend on the number of square centimeters. Only six drawings of lions are known; this was the only one still in private hands. Its execution from nature, its conservation, its provenance in the Leiden Collection and the commitment to donate the product to Panthera has increased its visibility. The result, however, remains a unique transaction, not a scale applicable to any design with an old name.
Print record
Arnout Tholinx : 3.1 million pounds for extremely rare printing
In December 2025, Christie's sold a print of the portrait ofArnout Tholinx, inspector, around 1656, for £3,100,000. This result constitutes both the record for a Rembrandt print and that of an old master print at auction.
The image was obtained by etching, chisel and drypoint. The value is mainly based on the condition of the plate at the time of printing: in first impressions, the metal beard left by the drypoint retains the ink and produces velvety blacks that fade as the plate wears out. Only four prints of the first state are known according to Christie's. The subject matters, but condition, inking quality, paper and provenance command the market.
Ecce Homo
A print of 1655 reached £2,648,000 at Christie's in 2018, then a record for an old print.
The Coin of a Hundred Florins
One print sold for £698,500 in 2025, a record announced for this subject. Its nickname comes from its long-standing commercial reputation, not a fixed price.
Faust
One print made £361,950 in 2025. The condition variations and tone of the print produce considerable differences.
The false record of 160 million: real price, bad category
The full-length portraits of Marten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit were acquired in 2016 for 160 million euros by the French and Dutch states, thanks to a private sale organized by Christie's. This amount is greater than any result public by Rembrandt, but it does not constitute an "auction" record: there was neither public auction, nor hammer, nor observable competition between successful bidders.
Nuance is fundamental. Private sales may include confidential conditions; auctions publish an estimate, a result and fees according to identifiable rules. Mixing the two creates a spectacular but historically false ranking.
Which makes - or - - a price rise
1. Attribution
"Rembrandt" does not equate to "Rembrandt's workshop", "attributed to", "entourage of" or "after". A revision of the catalog may move one painting between radically different markets.
2. The rarity available
Most major paintings are in museums. An autograph work, exportable and still private, therefore meets disproportionate demand.
3. Condition and restorations
Thinning, re-coiling, repainting, cut margins and accidents affect reading. For the print, the freshness of the drypoint is decisive.
4. Provenance
A chain documented before 1945, prestigious collections and an ancient presence in literature reduce legal and scientific risks.
5. The status of the copy
A single design is not comparable to a multiple print. But an exceptional impression of an extremely rare state can exceed ordinary drawings.
6. The sales context
Guarantee, irrevocable offer, telephone competition, currency, fees and prestige of the sale influence the final result.
painting comparison: read records correctly
| Work | Type | Sale date | Result published | Correct reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait of a man, arms on hips | painting | 2009 | £20,201,250 | Rembrandt's public record at auction. |
| Saint James the Greater | painting | 2007 | 25.8 million US dollars | Second major high according to published currencies. |
| Self-portrait, strawberry and black hat | painting | 2020 | £14,549,400 | Record for a painted self-portrait. |
| Young Lion at rest | Drawing | 2026 | US$17.86 million | Record for a drawing by Rembrandt. |
| Arnout Tholinx | Stamp | 2025 | £3.1 million | Rembrandt record and old print. |
| Marten and Oopjen | Two paintings | 2016 | 160 million euros | Private sale, excluding auction classification. |
How to Review an Advertised Rembrandt for Sale
Read Author Line
Start with the exact wording, not the marketing title. Ask for review history: RRP, preservatives, catalogs and technical reviews.
Identify the material object
For one painting : support, dimensions and condition. For a drawing: paper, watermark, medium and covers. For a print: condition, margins, paper, watermark and print quality.
Compare the cheap
A 19th century Amand-Durand reprint, even a beautiful one, cannot be compared to an impression taken during Rembrandt's lifetime.
Calculate the actual cost
Add buyer's fees, possible tax, resale right if applicable, transportation, insurance, catering and export restrictions.
Collection and associated readings
Discover Rembrandt with clearly named attributions
The store distinguishes between autograph works, workshop productions and old copies. The links below lead to works and articles actually present in the catalog.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive Rembrandt sold at auction?
The Portrait of a man, hands on hips20,201,250 pounds sterling sold at Christie's in London on December 8, 2009.
What is Rembrandt's most expensive drawing?
The Young Lion at rest17,860,000 US dollars sold at Sotheby's New York on February 4, 2026.
What is the most expensive Rembrandt print?
Arnout Tholinx, inspector£3,100,000 sold at Christie's London in December 2025.
Do the portraits of Marten and Oopjen hold the record?
They represent a private price of 160 million euros for the pair, but were not sold at auction.
Why are some prints worth much more than others?
Because of the condition of the plate, the quality of the print, the paper, the margins, the conservation, the rarity and the provenance.
Does a Rembrandt signature guarantee authenticity?
No. The signature must be studied with the support, layers, provenance and the entire invoice.
Can a studio work be expensive?
Yes, especially if it is of high quality and linked to an identified student, but its market normally remains much lower than that of a comparable autograph work.
Do estimates include fees?
No. Estimates are generally excluding fees; the results communicated by the major houses are often fees included. Each catalog must be checked.
Can we estimate La Ronde de nuit with these records?
Not reliably. An inalienable national work without direct comparables, it has no observable market price.
Main sources
- Christie's - Rembrandt's results and record.
- Christie's - December 8, 2009 sale release.
- Sotheby's - self-portrait sale, 2020.
- Sotheby's - result of Young Lion at Rest, 2026.
- Christie's - Josefowitz collection and Arnout Tholinx record, 2025.
- Christie's - Van der Pluym portrait results, 2023.
- Christie's - private sale of Marten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit.
- Sotheby's - study of Christ, 2018 result.
Historical prices not adjusted for inflation. Results are reported in the currency and format published by the auction house. Allocations may change with research; they must always be checked in the most recent notice.
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