The Getty Museum of Los Angeles has recently acquired a significant duo of paintings, including a self-portrait by Rembrandt and a Venetian scene by 18th-century artist Canaletto.

"Rembrandt Laughing," probably done around 1628, emerged on the art market in 2007 after centuries of being ensconced in private collections.

Long attributed to contemporaries of Rembrandt, the small oil on copper work was later authenticated by the Rembrandt Research Project as by the master himself.

Rembrandt depicted himself, at age about 22, in soldier attire and smiling widely. The Getty has four other works by Rembrandt.

The work by Canaletto, or Giovanni Antonio Canal, was painted by about 1738 and is titled "The Grand Canal in Venice from Palazzo Flangini to Campo San Marcuola."

"The Getty Museum possesses the most significant collection of early Rembrandts in the United States, and if you had asked what addition would best cap it off, the answer would have been a self-portrait, which many regard as his greatest and most sustained achievement," museum director Timothy Potts stated.

"The Canaletto likewise is a tremendous addition to our growing collection of Italian view paintings," Potts said.

Part of the world's richest art foundation, the Getty Museum has assets worth an estimated $7.9 billion in 2011.