The 2010 Rubenianum 2 Quarterly Rubenianum Fund gathers momentum Dear Friends of the Rubenianum, In the past few months, the Rubenianum Fund has continued to gather momentum. We are delighted to let you know that the The total amount raised so far already exceeds Euro 1.4 million from donors in results so far of the fundraising initiatives of Belgium, the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Spain the Rubenianum Fund have been immensely and Switzerland. This is especially gratifying in these economically diffi cult times. encouraging. Only three weeks ago, on 21th It signifi es that the fi nal target of Euro 2 million is within reach, although obviously September to be precise, our colleagues of the quite a lot of ground still needs to be covered. Rubenshuis hosted a splendid fundraising dinner for the Dutch community of patrons The next fundraising event will take place in Madrid in the premises of the and collectors living in our country which was Fundacion Carlos de Amberes. This is a most appropriate location, as the Fundacion also attended by the Dutch consul–general. was established at the end of the 16th century by a Flemish merchant who came The benevolent and generous support of a to Madrid. Moreover, it houses an impressive Rubens Altarpiece depicting Saint growing number of international Donors and Andrew in its Chapel of San Andres de los Flamencos. Benefactors made it possible to hire two talented Madrid will also be the venue for the fi rst trip for the donors and benefactors of the junior staff members on a fulltime basis. Fund. During three days, from 19 to 21 November, the participants will be able to Bert Schepers and Prisca Valkeneers will assist see various locations not open to the public. The full but well–balanced programme the authors of the forthcoming volumes of the includes a visit to three important private collections, a private view of the Rubens Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig Burchard and exhibition at the Prado, the projection of a new documentary on Rubens by Prado prepare their manuscripts for publication. We curator Alejandro Vergara, a visit to the atmospheric Descalzas Reales monastery hope that we will soon be in a position to hire a and a dinner at the residence of the Belgian Ambassador. Last but not least, the third scholarly assistant. participants will get a sneak preview of Volume XXVI(2),2 of the Corpus in the The heartfelt support of such a distinguished presence of its author, Jeremy Wood. It promises to be an unforgettable occasion, group of dedicated and genuine art lovers has and it will be an opportunity to forge new links among the community of donors. been a tremendous source of inspiration. Over the past months the close collaboration Thomas Leysen, between the Centre for the Flemish Arts of the 16th and 17th Centuries and the Rubenianum Chairman, Rubenianum Fund has been intensifi ed. The new dynamism with which the Rubens Research has been imbued and invigorated has not escaped the attention of our colleagues and supporters worldwide. To all of us this means an extra motivation to further develop and expand the Rubenianum and to complete the Corpus within a reasonable time frame. Véronique Van de Kerckhof Curator Rubenianum Arnout Balis Chairman Centre for the Flemish Arts of the 16th and 17th Centuries Rubens after Titian, The rape of Europa Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado. Corpus Rubenianum The Centrum voor de Vlaamse Kunst van de 16e en de 17e eeuw Since its foundation on 12th November, 1959 (which was commemorated at Antwerp earlier this year), the Centrum voor de Vlaamse Kunst van de 16de en de 17de Eeuw has published a number of monographs on Flemish art, and, in particular, it has edited more than thirty volumes of the Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig Burchard. The study of the visual arts of the 16th and the 17th Burchard's house century in the Netherlands and the publication of its results have been at the core of its objectives ever since its foundation. The Centrum began work with a modest collaboration on the catalogue be studied in detail. What Burchard called of an exhibition of Van Dyck drawings and oil sketches (Rubenshuis, Antwerp, July–August 1960; Rooses's "endlessly long descriptions" ("endlos Museum Boijmans–Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, September–November 1960), but soon became langen Beschreibungen") were to be replaced far more ambitious. Its report on the activities in 1960 reveals that it planned to publish complete by small photographic illustrations. They catalogues of the works of the greatest Flemish artists of the period, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and would make the catalogue more accessible Peter Paul Rubens, as well as a series of monographs on specifi c subjects. But the Rubens Corpus to the reader. Burchard estimated that the was the most immediate of its concerns, and has remained so ever since. catalogue could be fi nished within two years if he received the opportunity to devote The founders of the Centrum, Roger–A. he was living in Berlin and was active as editor all his time to it. However, the proposed d'Hulst, professor at Ghent University and of the Allgemeines Künstler–Lexikon of Ulrich collaboration between Burchard and Glück did curator of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts Thieme and Felix Becker and the Zeitschrift not materialize. A few years later, in 1928, the at Brussels, and Frans Baudouin, curator für bildende Kunst. In 1921, he had fi nished the latter published, together with Franz Martin of the art–historical museums of the City publication of Rudolf Oldenbourg's volume Haberditzl, a book on Rubens drawings, Die of Antwerp, including the Rubenshuis, on Rubens in the Klassiker der Kunst series. Handzeichnungen von Peter Paul Rubens. In knew through personal contacts that In a draft note (Antwerp, Rubenianum), its Foreword, he claimed it had already been Ludwig Burchard (1886–1960) and his probably meant to persuade a publisher to planned before the war. Ludwig Burchard, heirs, his widow and his son Wolfgang, fi nance the project, he wrote in 1922 that "the excellent specialist in this fi eld" ("dem were considering donating to the City of he had been working for many years on a ausgezeichneten Kenner dieses Gebietes") was Antwerp the documentation that he had Rubens catalogue and had devoted all his specifi cally thanked for providing information collected since the early 1920s in preparation energy to that project ("beschäftigt sich seit and suggestions and for his help in correcting of a complete catalogue raisonné of the vielen Jahren mit den Vorarbeiten für einen the galley–proofs. works of Rubens. Antwerp was considered Rubenskatalog. Er hat dem seit Jahren seine The failure of the plans of 1922 did not by them to be the ideal place to house his Arbeitskraft gewidmet"). He had made a lot of discourage Burchard. He went on to collect material and to make sure that his life's work observations on matters such as authenticity, and to classify material for his Rubens would ultimately be realized. His books and overpainting, dates, etc. He had collected catalogue, even though he had to work catalogues, his photographs and his notes numerous photographs and notes and had single–handed. Nothing was heard about would be preserved in a building close to the even fully corrected a copy of Rooses's fi ve the publication for many years. In 1938 – Rubenshuis, now known as the Rubenianum, volumes. These books, with interspersed Burchard had moved to London in 1935 –, which was specially designed for it, and blank pages covered with countless notes the publication was announced by Elsevier where scholars from all over the world could by Burchard, are still preserved in the in Amsterdam of Ludwig Burchard: The Work come to study. Also, and perhaps even Rubenianum. of Peter Paul Rubens. An illustrated catalogue more importantly, the catalogue raisonné of The proposal of 1922 included the of the paintings, drawings and engravings, in Rubens's works which Burchard had been participation of Gustav Glück, curator of the six volumes demy quarto. The brochure even unable to complete, would at last be realized Kunsthistorisches Museum at Vienna. The contained a sample of one of the catalogue in Antwerp. latter would put at Burchard's disposal his entries. One can assume that Burchard The concepts of a research institute devoted own collection of photographs and his notes, planned to write the six volumes one after the to the art of Rubens and of the new complete mostly on Rubens drawings, and the two other. But the Second World War made this catalogue of his works originated almost at scholars agreed to meet at regular intervals impossible. the same time, at the end of the First World to discuss the progress of the project, and to War. In 1919 Paul Buschmann (1877–1924), publish the catalogue under both their names. This is not the end of the story. who in the last years of his life was curator Burchard would produce most of the work, To be continued in the next issue of the of the Antwerp Museum of Fine Arts, wrote since he would take care of the catalogue. Rubenianum Quarterly. an essay on the restoration and future use of Glück would only add an introduction with Rubens's house, which had been acquired by a short appreciation of Rubens ("eine kurze Carl Van de Velde the City of Antwerp. This essay, which was Würdigung"). Ludwig Burchard only published in 1938, defended the idea that The new catalogue, so Burchard argued, the Rubenshuis should not only be a museum, would be superior to Rooses's work in several but should also contain a Rubens library and ways.