An unpublished representation of Christ on the cross painted by Rembrandt has just been replaced in the church of the small village of Mas d'Agenais. It is the only work by the Flemish master that is not in a museum or in a private home.
This representation of Christ on the Cross by Rembrandt was anonymous at the time it was donated to the church of the Mas d'Agenais.
Who would imagine, passing in front of the Saint-Vincent collegiate church in the modest village of Mas d'Agenais, the priceless treasure it houses? Since Tuesday, May 24, a painting by Rembrandt has found its place there, to the delight of the 1,500 inhabitants of this town in Lot-et-Garonne. “This work is a bit like the soul of the village,” Arnaud Petit, adviser to the mayor in charge of finance and heritage, confided to Famille Chrétienne, rejoicing at this great return. “It is the only work by the Flemish painter that is not kept in a museum or in a private home! Everyone can come freely to contemplate it. » The work had been moved for six years to Bordeaux due to a window problem and the restoration of the church started between 2020 and 2022.
A painting that has remained anonymous for a long time
Depicting Christ dying on the cross, the canvas is said to have been painted by Rembrandt in the Netherlands in 1631 when he was 25 years old. That is almost 400 years ago. A long story led her to this church: the canvas traveled across France for several years, before being repurchased one fine day in 1804 without any apparent signature, at an auction in Dunkirk by a certain Xavier Duffour. "The latter, commander of the Napoleonic armies and a native of the village, decided to offer the anonymous painting to the parish the following year ", explains Arnaud Petit.
Exactly a century later, the separation of the Churches and the State made the work a property of the commune. It was classified as a historical monument in 1918. It was in 1959 that everything changed. On the occasion of a restoration at the Louvre, the singular signature suddenly appears: RHL, Rembrandt Harmenszoon of Leiden. The work then becomes a precious trophy. It was lent in 2011 for the exhibition at the Louvre “Rembrandt and the figure of Christ” .
A never-before-seen depiction of Jesus
The immense value of this painting is not only due to the notoriety of its author, although he is one of the most famous painters in the world. It is also due to the original way in which the latter represented Jesus on the cross. “Usually, the crucified Christ is represented worthy, impassive in the face of death. Here, Rembrandt represents him as a somewhat puny, miserable being, he manifests his suffering and does not hesitate to represent him in agony, ” analyzes Aude Claret, curator of Historic Monuments in a video for France 3.
"The painting does not leave unscathed, it exudes great spiritual power" , confided to Famille Chrétienne Father Thibault de La Serre, head of the sacred art commission of the diocese of Agen. “The fact that it is in a church gives it a special dimension. It represents Christ at the height of his sacrifice . The work would be estimated at 90 million euros, according to an auction house interviewed by Sud-Ouest in 2021. A considerable sum for the town hall of Mas d'Agenais! It would represent at least 70 years of budget. The price estimate was more or less confirmed to AFP by Olivier Lefeuvre, director of the old and 19th century paintings department at Sotheby's. "It is an important religious painting, a range of several tens of millions of euros does not seem abnormal to me , ”he considers. "What is certain is that the value of this painting is inestimable" , sums up Arnaud Petit.
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A very precious box
Suffice to say that the public authorities have done everything to ensure that the work is preciously preserved. His transport to the church also required many precautions. Packed in a wooden box with several layers of foam to avoid thermal shocks, it was transported in a discreet white van escorted by gendarmes, to the church, says Arnaud Petit who was part of the convoy. While it was previously in a wooden cupboard and then in a display case with a simple alarm, "security has been multiplied by at least ten" , welcomes Arnaud Petit. The work is now surrounded by cameras and alarms, as well as sensors measuring its thermal conservation conditions.
The Saint-Vincent collegiate itself, recently renovated, is now an even more favorable setting for attracting visitors. “It is a very beautiful Romanesque building from the 12th century, with stalls, capitals and many paintings, describes Father Thibault de La Serre. Not to mention that it is located in a rather picturesque corner, on a Gallo-Roman site overlooking the Garonne and the Canal du Midi, attracting tourists by bike”. The small village is already benefiting from the return of the work to the collegiate church. “We had around 700 visitors this weekend, especially foreigners,” welcomes Arnaud Petit.
The municipality works hand in hand with the Drac but also the parish and the diocese to enhance the painting and the church. “Together, we have set up a guest book signed by the priest and by the municipality of Mas d'Agenais. On August 7, the Bishop of Agen will come to celebrate a mass of blessing of the painting”, informs Arnaud Petit. Bishop Hubert Herbreteau already came on May 22 for a mass marking the return of worship after the work in the collegiate church. An association called “Rembrandt au Mas! works to create a space to explain the history of the painting, of the collegiate church, but also of the village. “We want to make this work of Rembrandt an instrument of social cohesion , explains Arnaud Petit. It attracts both Catholics and non-believers ”.
Philippe lLopez written for The Times
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