Lot 133 at the forced sale in Nice
A portrait associated with Rembrandt vanished after the liquidation of Anna Jaffé’s collection.
Anna and John Jaffé built a major collection in Nice. After Anna died in 1942, Vichy authorities seized the villa and its contents despite her arrangements to leave her estate to relatives.
The collection was sold in July 1943 under anti-Jewish measures. This portrait appeared as lot 133. Its traditional title does not establish the sitter’s identity, and its attribution to Rembrandt must remain qualified.
The portrait has not been securely traced since the sale. Accounts of its passage through dealers have not established its current location. Recoveries of other Jaffé works do not resolve this missing portrait.
Monuments Men and Women Foundation
Scheduled program end: 2026-12-31
Offer advertised by an official source
Reward details & conditions
Up to US$7,500 is currently advertised for this specific work under the WWII Most Wanted Art program. New, non-public information must be submitted directly to the Foundation and lead to physical and legal recovery by the owner. Payment is conditional, may be shared and is determined by the Foundation. This is not a guaranteed payment or an offer by ArtTraceX. The program is scheduled to end on 31 December 2026, unless ended earlier.
Payment and eligibility are governed by the reward provider’s conditions.Artwork Details & DocumentationIdentification, ownership history and supporting records
Portrait of Rembrandt’s Father
- Artwork title
- Portrait of Rembrandt’s FatherMonuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
- Maker / attribution
- Attributed to Rembrandt van RijnMonuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
- Object type
- PaintingMonuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
- Materials & technique
- Oil on panelMonuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
- Measurements
- 27 × 22 cm (10.63 × 8.66 in.)Monuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
- Creation date / period
- c. 1630Monuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
- Subject
- Elderly male sitter; identification as Rembrandt’s father is uncertain.Monuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
Not documented in this record: inscriptions & markings · distinguishing features.
Documented ownership history
- 1934–1942
Anna Jaffé collection, Nice, inherited after her husband John’s death.
Monuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked - 1943-07-12 / 1943-07-13
Lot 133 in the forced sale at Hôtel Savoy, Nice; subsequent whereabouts unconfirmed.
Monuments Men and Women Foundation ↗ · checked
Only stages supported by the cited sources are shown. This list is not a complete chain of ownership.
Identification details follow the Object ID categories where documented. Ownership history is recorded separately; this documentation is not an authentication or a certificate of ownership.
Documentary sources
An original ArtTraceX synthesis. Sources checked .