On Tuesday, the Dutch Senate approved the purchase of the painting ‘De Vaandeldrager’ by Rembrandt. The Dutch state is allocating 150 million euros for this, the remaining 25 million will be paid by the Rembrandt Association and the Rijksmuseum.
The agreement of the Senate – comparable to the Senate – was the last hurdle for the purchase of the work from 1636. Within four weeks, the Netherlands will officially own De Vaandeldrager, says the State Secretary for Culture, Gunay Uslu (D66).
However, the purchase was met with opposition in the two chambers of the Dutch parliament. Several parties had problems with the timing of the purchase. Many people in the creative sector are currently suffering from the corona measures. Various opposition parties therefore find it unacceptable that the government is now allocating 150 million euros for a single work.
Secretary of State Uslu understands that the sale feels “uncomfortable” during a pandemic. But the fact that such a work is now on the market presents an opportunity that will not arise again, she emphasizes. Uslu, who previously worked as an art historian, points to the “unique style” of the work, which she believes is a prelude to Rembrandt’s most famous work ‘The Night Watch’. “It’s a turning point in his career”.
The Rothschild family wanted to sell the work as early as 2019, but the French state labeled the canvas a “national treasure”, giving it 30 months to purchase it for itself. Only when France renounced this, the Netherlands could spring into action.
717 billion pixels: microscope photo reveals the smallest details of The Night Watch
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.