The always dependable "attributed to"

Rops, from Belgium, sells on 29 January 2017 an "attributed to Rembrandt" Rembrandt and Saskia, estimated at 3,000 to 4,000 Euro.

The auction house states that "numerous documents" are added, without any further information, but that surely has to be a good sign.

It's a bit sad, I usually like Rops who seem to be a good auction house to deal with, but here they are selling the usual auction house nonsensical "attributed to" for a work which is clearly not good enough to be by Rembrandt or anyone near him, and which is also clearly simply a copy after Rembrandt.

That auction houses use the attributed to for unsigned but very good works in the style of, is normal. That they use it for works which have a name on the frame and where the attribution isn't totally ridiculous or harder to confirm or reject, fine, no problem. But with one the masterpieces by Rembrandt, which a simple Google search finds in 10 seconds, no such excuses exist.

It is a poor copy, from the 19th or more likely 20th century, and worth a few hundred Euro at most.

UPDATE: sold for 2,600 Euro, pure madness.