While preparing an exhibition on Italian Renaissance master Raphael, the Teylers Museum in Haarlem got a lovely surprise: instead of owning nine drawings of the artist, they actually own twelve. The three new drawings are: Portrait of a young man (1515-17), Flying Putto (1518) and Joshua speaks to the Israeli tribal leaders in Sichem (1516-18), drawings that used to be attributed to Raphael’s pupils. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam each own one of Raphael’s drawings, bringing the total number of drawings by Raphael in the Netherlands up to 14.

However, Head Curator Michiel Plomp together with a Viennese colleague seem to have come to this positive conclusion at a very convenient moment. Part of the exhibition will be to explain how the experts arrived at their conclusion and asking visitors what they think.

The three discoveries will be on show at the first-ever solo exhibition in the Netherlands devoted to this from 28 September 2012 until 6 January 2013.

(Link: www.elsevier.nl, Photo of Teylers Museum by Tom Clearwood, some rights reserved)