The Rijksmuseum is to display a painting by Rembrandt for the first time in 65 years after new analysis settled a dispute about whether it was the work of the master.

Experts spent two years examining the painting, Vision of Zacharias in the temple, using new techniques developed for a recent detailed study of the Night Watch.

Painted in 1633, two years after Rembrandt moved from his native Leiden to Amsterdam in his mid-twenties, it depicts the moment in the gospels when the high priest Zacharias is visited by the archangel Gabriel, who tells him his wife will shortly give birth to John the Baptist.

The work had hung in the museum in Amsterdam from 1898 until 1960, when it was removed after it was discounted as a genuine Rembrandt.

The current owner bought it the following year. The painting has been on long-term loan to the museum, but will be displayed to the public this week for the first time since 1960.

Experts examined macro-XRF scans of the materials used in the painting and compared them to known works by Rembrandt, along with the stylistic and thematic qualities, to reach their conclusion.

Museum director Taco Dibbits said: “It’s fantastic that people can now get to know the young Rembrandt better.

“This is a very moving work that he painted just after he moved from Leiden to Amsterdam. It’s a wonderful example of the unique way in which Rembrandt illustrated stories.”