The Leiden Collection announces acquisition at TEFAF of major painting by Willem Drost

Agnews Gallery announced the sale of Willem Drost’s exceptional 1654 oil on canvas, Man with a Plumed Red Beret, to The Leiden Collection, the world’s foremost private assemblage of Rembrandt and Rembrandt School paintings. Willem Drost (1633–1659), who was not previously represented in The Collection, was among Rembrandt’s most gifted and enigmatic pupils, studying with the master in the early 1650s. Throughout his brief career, tragically cut short when he died of pneumonia in Venice at age 25, Drost created powerful and exquisitely executed portrayals of the human figure. The entry of this masterpiece into The Leiden Collection marks a momentous event from both a curatorial and educational standpoint. Rarely do artists capture the emotional energy that Drost achieves in this compelling image. The bearded man’s forceful pose commands the viewer’s attention. As he leans forward, gazing intently to the side, he gestures with an open hand