A painting judged to be the work of a Rembrandt imitator, which has languished in the basement of the National Art Gallery in Dublin for the last 25 years, may yet be declared to be the work of the master himself.
The painting, Head of an Old Man, was always thought to be a Rembrandt until Dutch experts stated it was a 19th century work of an imitator with a false signature.
It was then consigned to the basement of the gallery.
However, Mr Andrew O'Connor, the gallery's senior conservator, always had faith in the painting and had it reassessed.
After examination it was established that the painting dates from 1650 and was "probably by the master" . It has been in the Dublin gallery since 1871.
In an interview with Aidan Dunne, The Irish Times art critic, published on Saturday, Mr O'Connor said: "I always thought the work was a typical Dutch 17th century picture."
When the chairman of the Rembrandt Project, Prof Ernst van der Wetering, was in Dublin for a conference recently, he examined the painting and also agreed it was a 17th century Dutch painting.
Speaking in an RTE radio interview yesterday, he said: "Cleaning tests and examination of the original paint pretty well convinced me. I also showed it to the head of the Rembrandt Research Project in Amsterdam, who endorsed my feeling.
"I would be hoping for confirmation within the next year, but these things always take a long time. And you are never able to say without any doubt that something is genuine - experts always differ." Head of an Old Man will be one of 18 major paintings to go on display at an exhibition at in the gallery tomorrow.
The exhibition is "The Deeper Picture: Conservation at the National Gallery of Ireland." Supported by Irish Intercontinental Bank, it coincides with the 17th Biennial Congress in Dublin which will be attended by 500 leading conservation experts.
The last old master confirmed to be in the possession of the Irish National Art Gallery, Caravaggio's The Taking of Christ, was valued at £30 million by some experts.
It has been a good week for Irish art galleries.
On Sunday it was announced that the studio of the internationally-renowned artist Francis Bacon has been donated to the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Dublin, by Mr John Edwards, his sole heir.
Bacon was born in Dublin but spent most of his life in London.
Mr Michael D. Higgins, the Labour Party spokesman on Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht, Islands and Broadcasting, described the bequest as "wonderful news for the Irish artistic community and the Hugh Lane Gallery in particular".
He said the director of the gallery, Ms Barbara Dawson, and all her staff deserved thanks for securing this bequest for the nation.