In this issue contributions about W.B. Tholen, Abraham Bredius and the books of a Jewish art dealer
Chris Stolwijk
Introduction
Evelien de Visser
The largest exhibition devoted to Willem Bastiaan Tholen (1860-1931) during his lifetime has never before been researched. This articles reconstructs how the exhibition came about, which works of art were on display, and the extent to which the show was a (commercial) success.
Irene Meyjes
The annotations from the archive of Abraham Bredius (1855-1946) on Dutch 17th-century artists were inventoried in 2018. The 57 notebooks from the archive, in which Bredius described works of art during his many travels, are now also accessible and represent an important additional source of research.
Ruth Kaloena Krul
In 1938/1939, Hans Schneider, director of the RKD, conducted negotiations with the Jewish art dealer Reiling from Mainz about the purchase of the latter’s collection of sales catalogues. This article outlines the course of this transaction against the background of the National Socialist regime in Germany.
Hans Wijgergangs
The extravagant symbolist artist Henry de Groux corresponded with many artists and writers throughout his life. The RKD holds two letters by this remarkable Belgian artist. The addressee is the artist Franz Melchers, with whom he was acquainted around 1890. The letters offer insight into the art world of the fin de siècle.
Edward Grasman
With the acceptance of Hofstede de Groot’s donation of his study material, the Dutch State committed itself to its preservation and continuation. This article argues that the State’s commitment was also the reason for Lugt to donate his study material and this process was accelerated by the death of his son Huib.
Lot Fakkeldij
This article sheds light on Antillean art and cultural policy during the 1960s and 70s. In those years Egberdien van Rossum owned a gallery on Curaçao: gallery rg. Archival research provided answers to two questions: What was Egberdien van Rossum’s intention with her gallery? And what role did she play in Antillean cultural life?