Art Dealer Gifts Spranger to Rijksmuseum
May 27 2020
Picture: Rijksmuseum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
New York art dealer Bob Haboldt has gifted a painting by Bartholomeus Spranger (1546-1611) to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The Angel Pietà (pictured), dated to c.1587, is described by the museum as a powerful and poignant image of compassion.
The accompanying press release on the Rijksmuseum website contains a quote from Haboldt explaining this generous gift:
Coronavirus has affected me, in the first place emotionally. It gave me occasion to reflect on how I could make a contribution, and on how we could best memorialise this period. What is wonderful about paintings is that they are eternal and can serve as monuments to the difficult times in which we find ourselves. With this thought in mind, I came to the decision that I would donate this exceptional work by Bartholomeus Spranger to the Rijksmuseum. In the first place, it is a gift to everyone to commemorate the victims of COVID-19; it also serves as an example, encouraging everyone to do good for museums. I hope that others will follow.
