The Mysteries of the Missing Rembrandt Etching Copper Plates

Park West Gallery Buys Eight Rembrandt Copper Plates and Conceals their Ownership. Why the Secrecy?

Rembrandt Van Rijn, Dutch artist whose masterful contribution to the world of art is without question, would be somewhat aghast at the turn of events that have unfloded since August of 2003. Eight of his copper plates have receded into veiled obscurity after their purchase by Park West Gallery in 2003 (who incidentally renamed the Millennium Impressions etchings made from the copper plates to Millennium editions).

Delving into this tangled mystery, an article written for Fine Art Registry® authored by David Phillips, entitled Park West Gallery Buys Eight Rembrandt Copper Plates and Conceals their Ownership. Why the Secrecy? Rembrandt Millennium Impressions – Article 2, begins to unravel some of the deliberately buried details.

Why, you ask, would anyone attempt to conceal and distort ownership of such renowned works as Rembrandt’s copper plates? You would think that such an acquisition would be shouted from the rooftops. But for some strange and mysterious reason, Park West Gallery decided NOT to announce ownership but instead to deny their ownership of the copper plates. Documents, however, show otherwise.

Why would everyone involved have to sign a confidentiality agreement before the sale could be consummated? Certificates of Authenticity were altered to the point that they no longer provide the number of the limited edition print or the printer’s verification. These are just a few of the points raised that question the motives involved here. We can start to solve this mystery by reading the clues in the above-mentioned article at www.fineartregistry.com.