Detectives Trying to Verify Authenticity of Recovered 'Rembrandt' Drawing

Detectives investigating an art theft earlier this month at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Marina del Rey have changed their focus to verifying the authenticity of the purported 17th century Rembrandt drawing, a sheriff's official said.

"It's still an ongoing investigation, the only real change is that we've added some investigators and we are continuing to look at whether or not this is, in fact, a Rembrandt," said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "Nobody can verify that it is. All the catalogs, all the experts, everyone we've spoken to has cast doubt on it."

The drawing was on exhibit at the swanky Ritz-Carlton when it was stolen Aug. 13 after a curator was distracted by another person.

The Linearis Institute, which owns the drawing, told authorities the quill pen and ink drawing was "The Judgment" by Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn and was worth about $250,000. The drawing is roughly 10-inches by 6-inches and was dated circa 1655.

The drawing was found undamaged two days after it was stolen in a pastor's office at a church in Encino.

Sheriff's detectives have checked with art catalogs and art experts and have not been able to verify the artwork's authenticity and are not sure of the artwork's actual owner, Whitmore said.

"It is possible, although unlikely, that it's an undocumented Rembrandt drawing that heretofore has not been recorded," Whitmore said. "But every catalog and all the experts we've spoken to, none of them are familiar with this particular piece." 

The San Francisco-area Linearis Institute, which collects, exhibits and auctions fine art, referred a telephone call Wednesday to an attorney who did not immediately return a message.

Authorities earlier said they planned to release a sketch of a suspect and still images from surveillance video of the theft, but have decided against it. No arrests have been made.

"We are going to hold onto this drawing until we know who owns it," Whitmore said. "We'll keep it under lock and key until we verify who owns it and what it is."

Whitmore said authorities must verify its authenticity to determine if a grand theft, petty theft or fraud crime has been committed.

"We are not saying that it's not a Rembrandt, because we don't know," he said. "We just haven't been able to prove that it is."