Attributed to Willem Drost (1633–1659), The Annunciation to the Virgin, 1650? , Schwarzenberg Palace, Prague
The Annunciation to the Virgin depicts Mary at the moment of the Annunciation, though the angel Gabriel is no longer present. The composition has been cut down at some unknown point, leaving only Mary’s figure. She is shown not as an idealised Queen of Heaven but as a humble Jewish girl, caught in the awe of divine revelation. The supernatural light and shadowed interior reflect Rembrandtesque drama, while Mary’s raised hand, recoiling posture, and the gesture to her chest communicate a deeply embodied response. This physical expressiveness is central to the painting’s emotional power.
For centuries, the painting was accepted as a genuine Rembrandt, largely due to the signature ‘Rembrandt f.. ’ on the canvas. Most scholars now agree that it originated in Rembrandt’s workshop, though its exact authorship remains uncertain. Only in the second half of the twentieth century did art historians begin to challenge the attribution, ultimately reassigning the painting to Willem Drost—his most gifted pupil, who died young at the age of 24.
The work was generally dated to around 1645–46. This creates a problem: Drost, born in 1633, would have been only 12 or 13 at the time. Such precocity seems improbable for a painting of this psychological depth, leading many to doubt the dating’s accuracy.
Drost’s early style closely followed Rembrandt’s, especially in his use of light, expressive gesture, and sacred intimacy. Comparisons with Drost’s later works—such as Bathsheba (Louvre, c. 1654) and Sibyl (Metropolitan Museum, c. 1654)—support the attribution, based on similarities in drapery, composition, and mood.
There is no firm date for when Drost entered Rembrandt’s studio, but most sources place it around 1647–48, when he would have been 14 or 15—an age typical for a Dutch apprentice. Current scholarly opinion tends to favour a slightly later dating, around 1650, which would make the attribution more plausible if the work is indeed by Drost.