An early Rembrandt painting has been unearthed following two years of analysis after its owner questioned whether the painting was even ‘Dutch’.

Rembrandt’s Vision of Zacharias in the Temple was rejected in 1960 amid beliefs it was not a work by the Dutch master, and was subsequently sold to a private collector the following year.

The piece, which dates back to 1633, reappeared after 65 years when its current owner contacted the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and asked for it to be analysed again.

Researchers at the museum used a combination of technology and knowledge of Rembrandt’s style to confirm the work was indeed painted by the Dutch master, securing its place alongside some of his most well-regarded pieces.

‘We always hope to find a new Rembrandt, but this happens rarely,’ Rijksmuseum director Taco Dibbits, who manages the largest collection of Rembrandts in the world, told AFP.

‘It was amazing that this painting – that we didn’t know of – came to us via somebody who sent an email to say “could this be a Dutch painting?”, who really didn’t know what he had.’

The work depicts the biblical scene from the New Testament in which Archangel Gabriel visits the high priest Zacharias in Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem to tell him he will have a son, who is John the Baptist.

The angel – who is also believed to have informed the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to Jesus Christ – is not seen in the painting, but a light shining from the upper right corner signals his arrival.

Rembrandt’s Vision of Zacharias in the Temple, which was painted in 1633, was rejected in 1960 amid beliefs it was not a work by the Dutch master

The 17th-century painter Rembrandt van Rijn is regarded as one of the greatest Dutch artists, with more than 300 paintings hanging in museums across the world.

The value of the painting goes beyond estimation, but it is believed it would fetch tens of millions of pounds if it were sold.

Rembrandt’s Young Lion Resting (1638-42) was sold for more than $17.8million in an auction in New York earlier this month.

Two curators at the Rijksmuseum, Jonathan Bikker and Petria Noble, made the discovery, stating the painting ‘takes its place as a significant and dramatic work from the artist’s early years’.

‘1633 is really Rembrandt’s early Amsterdam career and he’s really interested in Bible stories and in history books,’ Ms Noble, 27, told AFP.

‘So everything fitted in terms of the material aspects, the stylistic aspects… It was a wonderful experience.’

They compared the piece to Rembrandt’s Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem (1630), and wrote in The Burlington Magazine: ‘Like the Jeremiah and other pictures from early in his career, the Vision of Zacharias is an example of Rembrandt’s fascination with God speaking through dreams and visions and the effect it has on humans.’

Mr Bikker told AFP: ‘The way the painting was constructed, the different layers, was typical for Rembrandt.

Rembrandt van Rijn sketched a self-portrait, also referred to as Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, in 1633 (pictured) when he was 27

The piece reappeared after 65 years when its current owner contacted the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, (pictured) and asked for it to be analysed again

‘And it’s a dark painting, and the light is very important. Rembrandt, of course, is all about light and dark contrast.’

The use of new technology further confirmed the curators’ beliefs, revealing that both the painting technique and the paints used in Vision of Zacharias matched other Rembrandt paintings.

Scans also revealed ‘compositional changes that support the authenticity of the work,’ the museum said.

The work, which was painted by Rembrandt when he was 27, is now on long-term loan to the museum and will be on display to the public from Wednesday.