New Rembrandt discovered at Museum Bredius

An oil sketch in the Museum Bredius collection in The Hague showing the Raising of the Cross was recently revealed to be a Rembrandt painting. The new attribution to Rembrandt was made by Dr Jeroen Giltaij, formerly chief curator of old master paintings and sculpture at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. Giltaij published his discovery in a new volume discussing every painting ever ascribed to the Dutch master - Het Grote Rembrandt Boek: Alle 684 schilderijen. Abraham Bredius acquired the Raising of the Cross in 1921 for his collection as a work by Rembrandt.
Although Abraham Bredius was convinced that it was Rembrandt who had painted the sketch when he bought it in 1921, other art historians subsequently rejected the claim. Nonetheless, Jeroen Giltaij has concluded that the sketch is indeed by Rembrandt.
After removing the discoloured varnish and the 19th-century overpainting, Rembrandt’s trademark style was eminently recognisable.
Restorer Johanneke Verhave of Restauratie Atelier Rotterdam and Petria Noble of the Rijksmuseum then carried out a technical examination. They found nothing to contradict this attribution to Rembrandt.