A tiny painting of the Adoration of the Kings and attributed to Rembrandt has been sold at auction at Sotheby’s for almost €13 million to an unknown buyer.

The painting which had been documented since 1714 changed hands several times before it disappeared from view in 1822, only to pop up again in the 1950s when an Amsterdam collector bought it.

His widow sold the work to a German family which offered it up for sale at Christie’s two years ago. Then thought to be a work by an artist from “the entourage of Rembrandt” it was valued at no more than  €10,000 to €15,000.

Doubts about its authenticity as a Rembrandt led to its sale for €860,000. But the price then soared when a number of Rembrandt experts gave the painting their seal of approval following 18 months of research.

The owner subsequently put the painting up for auction at Sotheby’s which valued it at between €11.5 million and €17.5 million.

Sotheby’s art experts said the work was painted around 1628 when Rembrandt was only 21 or 22 and living in Leiden. The painting, which measures 28 x 24 centimetres, is it one of the few Rembrandts in private ownership.