Restorers of Rembrandt’s early painting “Let the Little Children Come Unto Me” have uncovered significant late alterations that have obscured part of the original composition for centuries, according to experts who have studied this 17th-century painting, The Guardian reports.

During the analysis, restorers removed layers of later repainting and found that one of the central figures was originally depicted wearing a turban. But later, an unknown artist or owner of the painting replaced it with a traditional Dutch soft cap, significantly changing the ethnic and visual character of the scene. The figure of the child, whom the later artist dressed, was also similarly altered, and the foreground was also filled in.

According to Sotheby's, the later artist's intervention "simplified" the composition and made it more in line with the tastes and religious beliefs of the 18th-century owners. After the removal of the later layers, the canvas became closer to Rembrandt's original idea, which allowed experts to confirm its authenticity and authority.

Art historians have noted that the plot and the diversity of characters reflect the social context of Leiden in the 1620s, where thousands of refugees came during the Thirty Years' War. Art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon connects this work with the ideas of religious tolerance, which were close to the Remonstrants, with whom Rembrandt was associated in his youth.

Research has also shown that the artist included members of his family, including his parents, in the composition, as well as a self-portrait of the young Rembrandt. Experts suggest that this work could have served as a demonstration of professional growth after his apprenticeship with a leading Amsterdam artist, Pieter Lastman.

The painting, discovered at a German auction in 2014 as an anonymous work by the Dutch school, will be presented to the public in its restored form on Saturday at Sotheby's London office. It is expected to sell for between 8 and 12 million pounds ($10.5 and $15.5 million) at the July auction.