When, in 1950, the 11th Duke of Devonshire was hit with a swingeing £7m inheritance tax bill, he did what many stately homeowners do and gazed up at his walls to see what art might be sold. The duke found that he had three Rembrandts, and suggested the nation choose one of them in part payment of the tax. Thus in 1957 a fine, signed Rembrandt, “Old Man in an Armchair” (1652), went on display at the National Gallery in London.
1950年,第11代德文希爾公爵(Duke of Devonshire)收到政府高達700萬英鎊的遺產稅單後,採取的措施與衆多豪宅繼承者如出一轍——抬頭凝望牆上張掛的名畫,以決定究竟該賣掉哪一幅。公爵大人發現自己擁有3幅倫勃朗的名畫,於是他向政府建議以其中一幅來抵稅。1957年,這幅創作於1652年、倫勃朗親筆簽名的精美油畫《坐在扶手椅中的老人》(“Old Man in an Armchair”)在倫敦國家美術館(National Gallery)正式展出。