In 2019 the painting has been classified as a
national treasure of France, so an export bar was in place for 30 months while the
Louvre tried to raise funds to buy the painting. The museum was unable to do so and waived its right of first refusal for purchase. In December 2021, the Dutch state announced its intention to buy the work for the national collection. As result, the
Rothschild family sold the painting to the Netherlands for €175 million in 2022. The Dutch government paid €150 million, while the Rembrandt Association and the
Rijksmuseum contributed a total of €25 million. It was bought from the Rothschild family, who had owned it since 1844, via a trust located in the tax haven of the
Cook Islands.
The Standard Bearer was sent to tour every province in the Netherlands before going on display at the Rijksmuseum's Gallery of Honour. It was acquired during the
COVID-19 pandemic amid media coverage of failing income for the Netherlands' cultural sector. The painting had previously been shown at the Rijksmuseum in 2019 and had attracted the museum's interest once France agreed to let the painting leave the country. ==Notable copies==