Two Rembrandt paintings previously unknown to art scholars will be up for auction this summer after not being seen in public for 200 years!

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, often known simply as Rembrandt, created the paintings in 1635. They feature an elderly husband and wife from a prominent Dutch family. The paintings stayed in Europe until James Murray put them up for sale with Christie’s, a well-known auction house, in June 1824. Since the sale two centuries ago, the paintings have remained in Britain in a private collection. Experts were unaware of the paintings until the family completed an inspection of their possessions.

Once discovered, the paintings’ provenance, or their origin and history, were investigated. Experts reviewed the details of the 1824 sale and conducted research,including scientific analysis, to confirm that the paintings were original Rembrandts. The paintings are again being auctioned through Christie’s. Henry Pettifer, the international deputy chairman of Old Master Paintings at Christie’s, says the rediscovery of the paintings was incredibly exciting.

“Painted with a deep sense of humanity, these are amongst the smallest and most intimate portraits that we know by Rembrandt, adding something new to our understanding of him,” said Pettifer in a statement.

Rembrandt was a Dutch painter best known for his realism and portraits. His work is world-renowned and hangs in some of the most high-profile museums.

The recently rediscovered paintings are expected to bring between $6.25 million and $10 million for both. This is certainly no small sum but may be cheap by comparison. In 2009, another Rembrandt portrait sold for a whopping $25.3 million. Seven years later, two Rembrandt portraits were acquired by the Louvre and the Rijksmuseum, two museums in Europe, for more than $85 million each! They became the most expensive Old Master paintings ever sold.