News | 9 February 2026

Rediscovered painting by Master I.S. joins the exhibition Masterful Mystery

Research by Museum De Lakenhal and Serlachius Museums uncovers possible self-portrait

The exhibition Masterful Mystery - On Rembrandt's Enigmatic Contemporary is being enriched by an exceptional, rediscovered painting by Master I.S. The painting, which may well be a self-portrait, was uncovered by a research project set up by Museum De Lakenhal and Serlachius Museums. It emerged that the painting Young Man with a High Fur Hat and Gorget (1638) is in the possession of a private collector, who is lending the work to Museum De Lakenhal until the end of the exhibition on 8 March.

Extensive search

The painting Young Man with a High Fur Hat and Gorget (1638) had been sought for many years. Previously in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the painting was at some point sold and disappeared from the radar. Museum De Lakenhal is delighted that the current private owner is willing to lend this exceptional work for the final weeks of the exhibition. Museum De Lakenhal's director Tanja Elstgeest: ‘Research by Museum De Lakenhal in collaboration with Serlachius Museums and other leading researchers uncovered the whereabouts of this painting by Master I.S. The rediscovery is, of course, a fantastic outcome an the work is an important addition to the exhibition. Visitors now have a unique opportunity to view what is possibly a self-portrait by Master I.S. at Museum De Lakenhal.'

Possible self-portrait

The painting shows a young man with an oval face, wispy moustache and striking long, curly hair. The same young man appears elsewhere in the work of Master I.S., which means that this could be a self-portrait. When the exhibition Masterful Mystery - On Rembrandt's Enigmatic Contemporary opened, the only depiction of this young man that was known was Young Scholar Half-Naked (1638). Now we have Young Man with a High Fur Hat and Gorget, also from 1938. This is the earliest known tronie by Master I.S. and Rembrandt's influence is clearly evident in the strong contrasts between light and shade, and the loose brushwork. Rembrandt often based his tronies on his own face. It is therefore very possible that the face in this painting is I.S.'s own. Conservator Lea van der Vinde: ‘Although we still can't decipher the name behind the monogram I.S., the rediscovery of Young Man with a High Fur Hat and Gorget brings us a step closer to the identity of this mysterious artist. Master I.S. remains anonymous, but may well now have a face.'

Exhibition and international research

The exhibition Masterful Mystery - On Rembrandt's Enigmatic Contemporary brings together the most important paintings by the anonymous, but highly talented 17th-century artist Master I.S. Many of these works, with their raw, almost hyperrealistic faces, are being exhibited together for the first time. The exhibition is the result of extensive research into the work and identity of this master painter, led by the curators Janneke van Asperen (Museum De Lakenhal) and Tomi Moisio (Serlachius Museums), in collaboration with experts Volker Manuth and Marieke de Winkel (Radboud University) and David de Witt (Rembrandt House Museum). This research and an international appeal through the CODART curators' network led to several paintings in the exhibition being traced or discovered.

Rave reviews

The exhibition has been very well received by both press and public. The national dailies NRC (☆☆☆☆), Trouw (☆☆☆☆), De Volkskrant, the weekly De Groene Amsterdammer, and the magazines Museumtijdschrift and The Burlington Magazine are among those that have published extensive reviews of the exhibition. Masterful Mystery - On Rembrandt's Enigmatic Contemporary is on view at Museum De Lakenhal until 8 March 2026.

Supported by

The exhibition Masterful Mystery - On Rembrandt's Enigmatic Contemporary was made possible thanks to support from the Municipality of Leiden, Mondriaan Fund, Turing Foundation, Cultuurfonds, Lucas van Leyden Mecenaat, Stichting Zabawas, DutchCulture, and the Government of the Netherlands, in the form of a loan indemnity guarantee provided by The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands on behalf of the Minister of Education, Culture and Science.