- 1764 Most probably in the collection of the Elector of Cologne in the hunting lodge in Kottenforst, near Bonn. The inventory lists: "Kopf mit einer casquet auf haupt von Reinbrand" (Hausmanns 2005, p. 158). After his death the inventory of the Elector's collection was drawn up in 1762 for the upcoming auction of his estate in May 1764. Perhaps the present painting is identical with an entry in the auction catalogue: "80: Un tableau de deux pieds trois pouces de hauteur & d’un pied dix pouces de largeur [ca. 73,2 x 59,6 cm], réprésentant un Soldat á demi figure de grandeur naturell par Rembrand" (Ketelsen/Stockhausen 2002, vol. 2, p. 1306). The measurements mentioned in the auction catalogue do not match the current smaller sizes of the painting, but in the past the painting has been reduced in size along all four edges. The painting was sold for 17 Reichstaler to the middelman Zeisler for Uphoff, most probably Johann Heinrich von Uphoff (Depel 1961, p. 104; Hausmanns 2005, p. 158).

Most probably in the private collection of Johann Heinrich von Uphoff (active 1767-1793) and his wife.

In the collection of De Boccard family, most probably by inheritance. Most probably the painting was already in 1810 in the collection of Marie-Madeleine d’Affry (1739-1822), located in the Château Balliswill. In this year Joseph de Landerset made a copy after the painting, which is still part of the Château Balliswill collection . After her death in 1822 it is possible her niece Anne Elisabeth d’Affry (1781-1849) inherited the painting, who was married with Hubert de Boccard (1785-1856) (unpublished manuscript Ernst A. Busche).

by descent (probably inherited together with her brother Raymond) through her father Roger de Boccard (1821-1887) (letter de Boccard to Bode, autumn 1890, SMB-ZA, I/GG 175, 2314/90, p. 199).
- 1897 In March 1890 Elisa de Boccard transported the painting to Paris and temporary stored it in the studio of the Parisian artist Gustave-Claude-Étienne Courtois (1852-1923). In that year she offered the painting to both the Königliches Museum zu Berlin and the Parisian artdealer Boussod Valadon et Cie for 100.000 francs (according to the correspondence SMB-ZA, I/GG 175, 2314/90, p. 143-144, 145-147, 197-199, SMB-ZA, I/GG 175, 796/90, p. 145-147 SMB-ZA, IV/NL Bode 1016 and the copies of the letters in the documentation-paintings, SMB-Gemäldegalerie), but did not succeed in selling the painting. According to Bode the painting was in a very poor condition. In the autumn of 1890 Elisa de Boccard transported the painting back to Switzerland. Around October 1890 De Boccard offered the painting again (probably for the same price) in America, with the help of an agent, but this attempt failed again (letter of 17 October 1890, documentation-paintings, SMB-Gemäldegalerie, thanks to Ernst A. Busche for the copies of the letters). In 1894 another branch of the family De Boccard, the Diesbachs, offered the painting to the Museé des Beaux-Arts in Lille for 23.000 francs (Chatelet 1964, p. 9-10). The museum consulted several art historians in Brussel, Paris and The Hague, among them Marcel Nicolle, Henri Hymans and Cornelis Hofstede de Groot. The museum would agree with the asking price if the family could prove that an ancestor had bought the painting from Rembrandt himself. They did not succeed in this assignment and the purchase was off (protocol of the acquisition commission of the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lille of 13 August 1894, unpublished manuscript of Ernst A. Busche, thanks to mr. Busche for this information). In the summer of 1897 De Boccards offered the painting to the art dealer P. & D. Colnaghi & Co. Ltd. for £ 1000 (letter of 24 July 1897 from McKay to Bode, SMB-ZA, IV NL Bode 3455 McKay 24071897). In August 1897 Colnaghi bought the painting for 17.575 Schwiss Franks (£ 696,86). This amount was tranferred to the bank account of Elisa de Boccard (statement in the documentation-paintings, SMB-Gemäldegalerie).

1897 In 1897 or in the beginning of the year 1898 the painting was sold to the Königliches Museum zu Berlin for £ 1200 (SMB-ZA, annual report of the Kaiser Friedrich-Museumsverein fiscal year 1898/99, p. 17; III inventory KFMV of 3 March 1899, no. 18), under the condition that Bode could make his final decision about the purchase after it was cleaned (letter of William McKay to Bode, 7 October 1897, SMB-ZA, IV NL Bode 3455 McKay 07101897).

1897 - In 1897 or in the beginning of the year 1898 the painting was sold to the Königliches Museum zu Berlin for £ 1200 (SMB-ZA, annual report of the Kaiser Friedrich-Museumsverein fiscal year 1898/99, p. 17; III inventory KFMV of 3 March 1899, no. 18), under the condition that Bode could make his final decision about the purchase after it was cleaned (letter of William McKay to Bode, 7 October 1897, SMB-ZA, IV NL Bode 3455 McKay 07101897). In 1904 the painting was transferred to the Kaiser Friedrich Museum (at present Bodemuseum). In the period from September 1941 – September 1942 the painting, together with other works of art of the Gemäldegalerie, was located in the flak towers of Leitturm Berlin-Friedrichshain. From 11 March - 7 April 1945 the paintings were transported from Berlin to the salt mines of Kaiseroda-Merkers, where the works of art were stored until they were discovered and confiscated by the Americans. On 17 April 1945 they moved the works of art, including the painting, to the Reichsbank in Frankfurt am Main. From 20 August-31 August 1945 the works of art were removed from the Reichsbank and temporary stored in the Central Art Collecting Point Wiesbaden, located in Landesmuseum Wiesbaden (inventory number WIE 0/135). The present painting, together with more than 200 other works of art of the Gemäldegalerie, moved from 20 November until 7 December 1945 to The National Gallery in Washington (Box nr. 43 (1882) (2); Image no. 192 (Farmer 2002, p. 191)). Most probably the painting was transported back to Wiesbaden in April 1949. On 20 April 1949 the American trusteeship was handed over to the state Hessen. On 11 January 1956 the works of art of the Berlin Gemäldegalerie officially came within the escrow of Berlin and the return of the works of art from Wiesbaden to Berlin began. The collection of paintings was located in the Gemäldegalerie in Dahlem (Berlin West) until 1998.

From 1998 onwards the collection of old master paintings of the Staatliche Museen is located in the Gemäldegalerie at the Kulturforum.

Perhaps identical with an entry in the auction catalogue. Lugt 5503: "118. In der Manier von Rembrandt, Ein alter Krieger mit eisernen Helm und Bart. Sehr stark gemahlt, und mit dicken Farben aufgetragen. Auf Leinwand. Hoch 28 Zoll, breit 24 Zoll [ca.73,4 x 62,3 cm]. Schwarzer Rahmen mit goldenen Leisten" (Ketelsen / Stockhausen 2002, vol.2, p. 1320).

Depel 1961, p. 104; Hausmanns 2005, p. 158 , Perhaps identical with an entry in the auction catalogue. Lugt 1386: "80: Un tableau de deux pieds trois pouces de hauteur & d’un pied dix pouces de largeur [ca. 73,2 x 59,6 cm], réprésentant un Soldat á demi figure de grandeur naturell par Rembrand“.