codart Courant 7/December 2003 codartCourant contents Published by Stichting codart P.O. Box 76709 2 A word from the director 12 The influence and uses of Flemish painting nl-1070 ka Amsterdam 3 News and notes from around the world in colonial Peru The Netherlands 3 Australia, Melbourne, National Gallery 14 Preview of upcoming exhibitions [email protected] of Victoria 15 codartpublications: A window on www.codart.nl 3 Around Canada Dutch cultural organizations for Russian 4 France, Paris, Institut Néerlandais, art historians Managing editor: Rachel Esner Fondation Custodia 15 codartactivities in fall 2003 e [email protected] 4 Germany, Dresden, Staatliche Kunst- 15 Study trip to New England, sammlungen Dresden, Gemäldegalerie 29 October-3 November 2003 Editors: Wietske Donkersloot, Alte Meister 23 codartactivities in 2004 Gary Schwartz 5 Germany, Munich, Staatliche 23 codart zevencongress: Dutch t +31 (0)20 305 4515 Graphische Sammlung and Flemish art in Poland, Utrecht, f +31 (0)20 305 4500 6 Italy, Bert W. Meijer’s influential role in 7-9 March 2004 e [email protected] study and research projects on Dutch 23 Study trip to Gdan´sk, Warsaw and and Flemish art in Italy Kraków, 18-25 April 2004 codart board 8 Around Japan 32 Appointments Henk van der Walle, chairman 8 Romania, Sibiu, Brukenthal Museum 32 codartmembership news Wim Jacobs, controller of the Instituut 9 Around the United Kingdom and 33 Membership directory Collectie Nederland, secretary- Ireland 44 codartdates treasurer 10 A typical codartstory Rudi Ekkart, director of the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie Jan Houwert, director of the Wegener Publishing Company Paul Huvenne, director of the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven, member of the Dutch Labor Party faction codartis an international council for curators of Dutch and Flemish art. It supports inter-museum cooperation in the study and display of art from the Lowlands through a variety of means, including congresses, study trips, pub- lications and a website (www.codart.nl). The organization was founded and is aided by the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage. It enjoys the generous support of the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Ministry of Welfare, Health and Culture of the Flemish Community. codartCourantappears twice a year. Contributions are welcome. codartCourant is designed by Typography Interiority & Other Serious Matters, Rotterdam Schwartz Gary Photo issn1388 9559 A Boston taxi during the codart zesstudy trip. codart Courant 7/December 2003 2 A word from the application is honored, we can do our work in ‘I just wanted to send you a brief note to say how very relative financial security for four years. (Fields helpful I find codart’s exhibitions calendar. It is director like experimental theater and music have the only site that provides a comprehensive and greater problems with the four-year reliable overview of Netherlandish exhibitions As I write, in late November 2003, the boards, Cultuurnota, as it is called.) To the lesser around the world and is the first port of call when directors and staffs of hundreds of subsidized extent that we are dependent on subsidy from planning research trips. I regularly recommend the cultural institutions all over the Netherlands, the Flemish government, the lack of long- site to art historians and art lovers in London.’ including codart, are in a state of high term funding is paralyzing. At this moment, Lucy Cutler nervous tension. Their applications for we do not even know whether our grant from Courtauld Institute of Art, London funding from the Ministry of Education, Flanders will be forthcoming for the year 2004, Culture and Science for the period 2005-08 have let alone 2005 and later. ‘I just discovered the essential bibliography today. to be handed in by 1 December, and they are Nerves aside, we are confident that our Wow! Thank you! I’m printing it out right now to agonizing over them. They want to show application to the Dutch authorities for 2005- pass along to our librarian at the Museum.’ positive results over the current period, 2001- 08 is a winner. What makes it so is, in the first Betsy Wieseman 04, and present strong arguments for place, the way our members have reacted to Cincinnati Art Museum continuing their good work in a brilliant and made use of codart. We can application that no advisor, bureaucrat or demonstrate that thanks to the facilities we ‘After the codart zescongress in the politician can read without being touched. provide a number of exhibitions have been Trippenhuis in March 2003, I was inspired to write They (read: we) worry about getting all of this held in places like St. Petersburg, Bucharest, an article on the history of this house for the onto paper (or onto the new electronic Rio de Janeiro and Boston, that would Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.’ application form) with the right words and the otherwise not have taken place; a group Dr. Jan Nicolaisen right numbers – not too many, not too few – in identity has been created – museum curators Museum der Bildenden Künste, Leipzig the right boxes. The prose has to be readable, of Dutch and Flemish art – that barely exists the numbers have to be unproblematic. for curators of other schools; spin-off from The success we have enjoyed among our After the introduction of a five-year plan codartgenerates an increase in grants, professional peers over the past years will for arts funding for the period 1988-92, a press attention and advancement for art from allow us to go further in 2005-08 in the somewhat briefer four-year cycle was the Netherlands; public awareness of direction that in the end counts the most – instituted for 1993-96 and the years since. For collections and exhibitions of Dutch and reaching the worldwide audience for art, the an organization like ours, with a clear mission Flemish art has been raised to an museumgoers for whom curators do their and a program that does not vary much from unprecedentedly high level. (In the third week work. By June 2004, when the next issue of the year to year, this has great advantages. If our of November, our prize-winning website courantappears, the Raad voor Cultuur registered its five-millionth hit!) (Council for Culture) will have judged our The codartapplication is enlivened application and passed on its recommendation by direct quotations from members of our to the State Secretary for Culture. At that time organization and the public. It will not be I will write another report from headquarters betraying the confidence of the writers or the on our chances for the next years. Whether or Ministry, I am sure, in reporting some of them not it is as upbeat at this one is uncertain. For to you. that reason, this is the moment to express my thanks to all members of codartwho in the ‘Very important for me as curator was attending the years since our founding in January 1998 have codartcongress – keeping in touch with the made such good use of what we have to offer, latest research trends, exhibitions, other museum and especially to those who have let us know activities and colleagues. For us in Eastern Europe about it. the neighbouring countries are the least known. It Gary Schwartz was useful to have personal contact and find out what was going on in Poland, Russia and the Baltic States. codarthas for me all the values of a professional association (something I miss at home).’ Dana Bercea Photo Thea Vignau-Wilberg Thea Photo National Museum of Art of Romania, Bucharest 3 codart Courant 7/December 2003 News and notes from benefactors who generously assisted with the monumental canvas by same artist, St. Benedict gallery’s most recent addition of five etchings receiving Totila, king of the Ostrogoths, another around the world from Joost Ritman’s collection. These include a donated by Joey Tanenbaum. Unfortunately, superb impression of the final state of the enchanting late Rembrandt, Woman with australia Rembrandt’s The angel appearing to the a lapdog, languishes rather high up on a wall, Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria shepherds, 1634, his first etching of a nocturnal making way for a modest but strong Self- In December 2003, the National Gallery of scene, and the rare Woman with the arrow, 1661. portrait by Barent Fabritius. The curatorial Victoria, Melbourne returns to its refurbished The ngv’s collection of Dutch and Flemish staff has proved resistant with respect to new building, which has been closed since 1999. paintings will be on display once more in two attributions, with the Samuel van Designed by Sir Roy Grounds in 1968, the other special galleries, including works by Hoogstraten and Pieter Thys here still given building has been transformed by Italian Jacob Jordaens, Aelbert Cuyp, Thomas de to Gabriel Metsu and Anthony van Dyck. The architect Mario Bellini Associati (Milan) in Keyser, Jacob van Ruisdael, Salomon van agois eagerly anticipating the arrival of partnership with metier3 (Melbourne) to Ruysdael, Meindert Hobbema and Arent de Rubens’s Massacre of the innocents, purchased increase exhibition space by 25 percent. In Gelder. The first exhibition in the dedicated last summer with a donation in mind [see also 2002, the ngvgained a second building, the prints and drawings gallery, Surveying the the contribution by Axel Rüger below; editors]. architecturally acclaimed Ian Potter Centre: centuries, re-introduces Melburnians and A major expansion is currently in planning, to ngvAustralia at Federation Square, where the visitors to the highlights of our international be designed by one-time Toronto resident Australian art collection is now displayed. This works on paper collection, the most Frank Gehry and sponsored in large part by complex is a few minutes walk across the Yarra comprehensive of its kind in Australia.