Jan van Eyck back in the Hague?

For quite some time now, a drawing in the Louvre in Paris has been the cause for a bit of consideration. Since the middle of the 19th Century, the coloured, medieval appearing drawing with a 17th-century inscription has been viewed with suspicion. People have argued over the dating of it (15th Century?), the presentation (angling for a mate?), the authenticity (copy after Jan van Eyck?), and the identity of the people depicted (certain members of the Dutch Bavarian Hainaut House?). Although the quality has indeed been commended from place to place and time to time, art historians have maintained that ultimately it was a 16th-century copy after a 15th-century example.
For the first time, however, this last summer, technical research has been performed on the drawing, and the results have soundly rattled all previous judgments and prejudices. It turns out that it does not involve one painting, but rather two surfaces that were appended to each other, and the colouring was originally completely different. This is a mutilated work of art that needs to be viewed by others. In order to present these results to a broad public, the Louvre has loaned out the drawing to the Meermanno Museum in The Hague for two weeks. (From 25 February to 11 March, 2012, inclusive). By means of provided archival pieces and an explanation of photos on hand, the visitor receives a new interpretation of these Dutch noble pieces in full splendour, against the backdrop of the Binnenhof and the Haagse Bos.

In collaboration with the Stichting Art, Books and Collections foundation and the University of Amsterdam, the Meermanno Museum is organising a symposium for specialists on 9 March and three lectures for the Friends of the Meermanno Museum on 10 March.

Participants for the symposium need to register with Claudine Chavannes-Mazel c.a.chavannes-mazel@uva.nl. There is a maximum of 60 places. (15€ fee applies)

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