RHENEN – The Rembrandt Association is contributing to the masterpiece ‘View of Rhenen’ by Jan van Goyen from 1649. The Association, with about 16,000 members, supports the museum with no less than half of the entire amount needed: 175,000 euros. The Stadsmuseum Rhenen has the painting on loan from a Berlin art collector, but is allowed to buy it so that it can be exhibited permanently in Rhenen.
The owner wants to sell the painting to the museum for 350,000 euros. With the gift from the Rembrandt Association and with previous fundraising campaigns, a total of two thirds of the amount has now been collected, about 240,000 euros. Director Maike Woldring is very happy with it: “This really gives us wings, we are a young museum. With such an important partner in public art property, we can make things possible that would otherwise never work.”
Art lovers give generously
Earlier, the museum also called on the residents of Rhenen to give generously for the painting. Many art lovers complied and jointly transferred several tens of thousands of euros. Now that is supplemented by a substantial amount. “The Rembrandt Association has a magnetic function,” says Maike Woldring. “They are a kind of inspection service for public art property. What they say really matters. Their contribution also increases interest in the painting and more art lovers will come over.”
A lot of work went into the allocation of the money. Maike Woldring “The application to the association is a whole process, a restoration report has to be drawn up, provenance reports, you have to enclose a clear motivation. You can’t just say: I like this painting and that’s why I want to buy it. You have to also think carefully about what you want to do with it in the future. It is a great incentive to see what we will do with our permanent presentation in the coming years.”
That is also necessary, because about 100,000 euros are still missing for the actual purchase. “A number of activities and campaigns are coming up, we are networking within the Rhenen entrepreneurial world and we are also going after a number of funds that are open to these kinds of applications from museums,” says the director. “Private organizations that now support the painting sign a guarantee letter that they guarantee a certain amount. Once we have the entire amount together, then everyone can transfer it.”
In addition, the Rembrandt Association asks its members to donate money. Fusien Bijl de Vroe, director of the Association: “Of the well-known ‘views of Rhenen’ that Van Goyen made, this is perhaps his most beautiful. This painting would really give the museum a face, like a kind of Rhenen Night Watch. It’s also nice to see that an initiative like this can move an entire region. It would be great if the acquisition was successful.”
When the time comes, the painting must become a key piece in a new part of a permanent exhibition. With a central place for Rhenen and the stories about the artists who traveled along the Rhine in the 17th century in search of inspiration. On the way to Germany and Italy, Rhenen proved time and again to be an eye-catcher for the painters, Jan van Goyen alone painted Rhenen 28 times.