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Masters' artworks assembled at Dutch museum for unique exhibit
2008-10-24
THE HAGUE (AFP) - Vermeer, Rembrandt, Matisse and Picasso: 125 works by some of the world's most celebrated artists have been assembled in Amsterdam for a unique homage to the Netherlands' oldest art patron. Entitled "125 Favourites", the exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum boasts paintings, sculptures and other masterpieces from more than 30 Dutch museums, under one roof for the first time. The works were acquired from around the world by the Rembrandt Association, whose 125th anniversary the four-month display celebrates. "For the first and only time 125 of the most important and significant acquisitions are currently being exhibited, from a large Chinese Bodhisattva (Buddhist deity) dating back to the 12th century to the famous Love Letter by (Dutch painter Johannes) Vermeer, purchased for the Rijksmuseum in 1892," said organisers. Among the pieces on display: an array of portraits by 17th century Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn, French artist Henri Matisse's "The Parakeet and the Siren" from 1952, and Spaniard Pablo Picasso's "Femme en Vert" (Woman in Green) from 1909. Director Huub Blankenberg said the Rembrandt Association, which now has about 9,000 members was born in 1883 out of a desire by a group of individuals to preserve the Dutch artistic heritage. "In the 19th century, there was little understanding of the need to protect this heritage," Blankenberg told AFP. "Many of the masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age (of the 17th century) were spread out around the world." There was little government support for keeping major art, museums did not have big budgets, and many works in private collections were lost to buyers abroad. "The arrival of the Rembrandt Association helped to turn the tide," he said. The association started by buying back major Dutch works by artists like Rembrandt and Hendrick TerBrugghen, later branching out to acquiring modern art, also from foreign artists. And so today, Dutch painter Piet Mondriaan's famously abstract "Victory Boogie Woogie" from 1944 hangs next to a wooden representation of St Michael from the early Middle Ages. The eclectic collection also includes a 16th century painted terra-cotta "self-portrait" by Dutch sculptor Jan Gregor van der Schardt, Swede Claes Oldenburg's 20th century rendition of a butcher's meat stall, and a video exhibit entitled "Washing Hands" by contemporary American artist Bruce Nauman. From its humble beginnings, the association now has an annual budget of between 1.5 million and two million euros to to purchase some 20 major works a year. It has supported museums acquire more than 2,500 pieces. The association has 15 experts -- art historians, museum directors and connoisseurs -- who examine requests for purchases from museums. They evaluate each article and decide how much can be spent. "Never more than half the price," explained Blankenberg. "We make a point of encouraging museums to make an effort to find the funds needed." He boasted that the association's interest in any particular piece also encourages other sponsors to join the effort. "Our involvement is like a quality label," he said, citing the association's acquisition of Marc Chagall's "Homage to Apollinaire" in 1951, long before the artist was recognised as such.
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