October 2012The Road to Van Eyck
from October 13 2012 until February 10 2013
In the autumn of 2012, the extremely valuable and fragile works of one of Europe’s most brilliant painters, Jan van Eyck (Maaseik? c.1390 – Bruges 1441), are coming to Rotterdam from all over Europe and the United States. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is showing the paintings of this artist, long considered the father of oil painting along side other masterpieces from other artist of this period.
In 2008 Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen organised the successful exhibition ‘Early Hollanders. Paintings from the Late Middle Ages’. The successor to this exhibition goes one step further back in history and ends with Jan van Eyck (c.1390-1441). The exhibition is an art-historical voyage of discovery and will present the only images we have of Holland in the early Middle Ages. Practically all the paintings that still exist from this period will be assembled in Rotterdam. This is the first time that all these paintings have been brought together. And because of their fragile condition, it will also be the last time.
Paintings
The core of the exhibition will comprise panel paintings, complemented by a small by high-quality selection of sculptures, metalwork, illuminated manuscripts and drawings. The highlight of the exhibition will be a small group of paintings by Van Eyck and artists from his circle, including the restored ‘The Three Marys at the Tomb’. This is the first and – due to the fragility of the works – probably the last time that an exhibition on this subject will be held.
Funding
The exhibition is supported by the Blockbusterfonds, the Turing Foundation, Robeco, Ploum Lodder Princen, BankGiro Loterij, Unilever and VSBfund. The restoration of ‘The Three Marys at the Tomb’ has been made possible by Nedspice. Several months ago a unique campaign was established by a group of individuals to raise private funding to help cover the costs of the exhibition. Until now the Circle of Van Eyck has donated €85,000. For more information see here.
Press preview
The press preview will take place on Thursday 11 October 2012. More information will be published soon. Press please contact pressoffice@boijmans.nl to register.
