In Pursuit of Provenance: View of Rhenen
Weblog
Every month the In Pursuit of Provenance blog discusses one or more objects from the Netherlands Art Heritage Collection (NK Collection) on which provenance research is being carried out. This collection, among other things, comprises objects that were recovered to the Netherlands after World War II. These objects include paintings and works on paper, as well as furniture and ceramics. By giving a major boost to the research we hope to find new provenance details. This month we will look at the painting Gezicht op Rhenen (View of Rhenen) (1652) by Jan van Goyen.
A masterpiece
It is May 1945. The allies discover the salt mines in Altaussee that the Nazi’s had converted into art storage, where they find thousands of art objects. They find paintings, drawings and sculptures. The artworks were intended for the Führermuseum in Linz, Austria, the city of Adolf Hitler. This painting, Gezicht op Rhenen (View of Rhenen) by Jan van Goyen (1596-1656), was found among the masterpieces being stored there.
The Leiden painter completed this work in 1652. He left a large body of work behind consisting of landscapes, city and river views of the northern Netherlands. His works are similar in composition and generally horizontal. Often with a sweeping sky, with clouds here and there, some darker than others. Van Goyen generally used earthy and grey tones and his work belongs to the Baroque period. The subjects he drew and painted ranged from village scenes to marine paintings. Known Dutch places were a recurring theme.
Many views
The painting forms part of a series of no less than 28 Views of Rhenen in which Van Goyen recorded the city landscape from various river banks and viewpoints. The German art historian Dr. Hans-Ulrich Beck writes that Rhenen was among the artist’s favourite spots. Here the city on the Lower Rhine has been painted from the southeast. We see a splendid panorama of the city with the church tower of Cunerakerk in the middle and next to it the Koningshuis (King’s House) that was built for King Frederik V and Elizabeth Stuart. As the silhouette of the city advances, we increasingly get an atmospheric perspective: the distant landscape looks blue, just as it does in reality.
Provenance unknown
To determine the provenance of this painting both the object itself and the archives have been closely examined. The back of the painting renders some information about that provenance. These marks and labels, however, mainly relate to provenance details from during and after the war. The number 1109 is the Linz inventory number, or the number that shows that the painting was destined for Hitler’s Führermuseum. The number 5248 comes from the art dealers Goudstikker-Miedl. From the inventory ledger we know that the painting was sold to the German Rijkskanselarij on 17 October 1940 by Alois Miedl’s ‘Art trade formerly known as J. Goudstikker NV’, set up on 14 September 1940. Also on the back is NK1517, the post-war inventory number given to the painting in the Netherlands, together with other labels which show how the work was returned to the Netherlands.
But who owned Gezicht op Rhenen before 1940? Auction catalogues offer clues. From 1938 to 1940 the painting was with the art dealer Katz and before that it was at an auction in Nice. What is unknown, however, is who put the painting in the French auction, although it is certain that it came from a private collection. Another source tells us that art dealer J.F. Minken had it at some point during the 1930s. The initials are thought to stand for Johannes Franciscus. But who was this Minken and what did he do? Sources indicate that he was also known as F.H. Minken. We know that he traded in Amsterdam and London, he relinquished his art dealership in 1936 and moved to Great Britain in the middle of the war but we have been unable to trace anything further than that, unfortunately. It is thought that this Minken worked as a buyer for art dealer Katz after his business closed, but this is by no means certain. Therefore we are asking you: do you know anything about the earlier provenance of this painting or about J.F. Minken? If so, please let us know!
Can you help us?
A team of provenance researchers at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) is working on renewed and additional provenance research on objects held in the NK Collection (The Netherlands Art Heritage Collection). Part of their work is to make the research results accessible online and to extract relevant information and data in a sustainable manner. This targeted approach gives us a clearer picture of the objects. Do you have more information about the provenance of Gezicht op Rhenen (View of Rhenen) (1652) by Jan van Goyen (NK1517)?If so, please contact us via: restitutie@cultureelerfgoed.nl.
This blog was written by Liza Lebedeva, provenance researcher at the RCE.