A Rare Rembrandt to be Exhibited in Abu Dhabi on This Date

In a remarkable cultural coup for the UAE, Abu Dhabi will host the drawing “Young Lion Resting” by the Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn. This rare work will be exhibited at the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort from 2–6 December 2025 as part of Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week. 

The work holds special significance: it is the only known depiction of a lion by Rembrandt remaining in private hands, making it highly coveted by collectors and scholars alike. The piece is being held by the prestigious Leiden Collection and is now entering the market ahead of its public auction at Sotheby’s in New York in February 2026 — with estimates ranging between US$15 million and US$20 million. 

Executed around 1638–42, the drawing features black chalk with white-chalk highlights and grey wash on brown laid paper (approximately 11.5 × 15 cm); it captures a lion in repose — yet simultaneously poised — with the left paw sketched twice to suggest movement and life. That level of mastery and emotional subtlety is what sets the work apart as one of the most important Old-Master drawings to appear at auction in decades. 

For Abu Dhabi, the arrival of such a masterpiece underscores the Emirate’s growing role in the global art-market circuit and the cultural gravitas of Saadiyat Island as a destination for world-class exhibitions. The presentation of “Young Lion Resting” ahead of its auction provides local art enthusiasts, collectors and the general public a rare opportunity to engage with an extraordinary piece of 17th-century art. 

Visitors to the exhibition will also see a broader narrative at play: the drawing’s sale will benefit Panthera, the leading wild-cat conservation charity — tying together art, philanthropy and wildlife preservation in one gesture.