Rudolf Herman "Rudi" Fuchs (born 28 April 1942) is a Dutch
art historian
Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...
and curator.
Personal life
Rudolf Herman Fuchs was born on 28 April 1942 in
Eindhoven
Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,[Netherlands
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, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...]
. He studied
art history
Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...
from 1967 to 1975 at
Leiden University
Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince o ...
, after which he became an academic.
Fuchs has twin sons (born in 1970), one of whom is the noted
graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography, or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, ...
, Rutger Fuchs.
He lives in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
and
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
.
Career
In 1975, Fuchs became director of the
Van Abbemuseum
The Van Abbemuseum () is a museum of modern and contemporary art in central Eindhoven, Netherlands, on the east bank of the Dommel River. Established in 1936, the museum is named after its founder, Henri van Abbe, who loved modern art and wanted ...
in Eindhoven. At that time he was the youngest director of a museum in the Netherlands.
In 1982, he was one of the organisers and the artistic director of
Documenta
''documenta'' is an exhibition of contemporary art which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany.
The ''documenta'' was founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgartenschau (Federal Horticultura ...
7 in
Kassel
Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2020 ...
in Germany.
Between 1987 and 1993 he was director of the
Gemeentemuseum
The Kunstmuseum Den Haag is an art museum in The Hague in the Netherlands, founded in 1866 as the Museum voor Moderne Kunst. Later, until 1998, it was known as Haags Gemeentemuseum, and until the end of September 2019 as Gemeentemuseum Den Haag. I ...
in
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
, leaving a deficit of around four million euros.
In February 1993 he became director of the
Stedelijk Museum
The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (; Municipal Museum Amsterdam), colloquially known as the Stedelijk, is a museum for modern art, contemporary art, and design located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. in Amsterdam. At first he was general director, later director of art. He worked at the museum until 1 January 2003. His farewell was spoiled by a misunderstanding over
VAT
A value-added tax (VAT), known in some countries as a goods and services tax (GST), is a type of tax that is assessed incrementally. It is levied on the price of a product or service at each stage of production, distribution, or sale to the en ...
with the tax authorities.
Fuchs is currently (2013) a lecturer at the
University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...
and independent writer. He has published widely on art as an author and
art critic
An art critic is a person who is specialized in analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating art. Their written critiques or reviews contribute to art criticism and they are published in newspapers, magazines, books, exhibition brochures, and catalogue ...
.
Awards and decorations
Fuchs has received the following awards and decorations:
* Knight in the
Order of St. Olav (1996)
[Curriculum Vitae Rudi Fuchs]
Leids Universiteits Fonds. Retrieved on 26 September 2013.
* Knight in the
Order of the Netherlands Lion
The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands ( nl, De Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, french: L'Ordre du Lion NĂ©erlandais) is a Dutch order of chivalry founded by King William I of the Netherlands on ...
(1998)
* Commander in the
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-ranking ...
(1998)
* Commander in the
Order of the Oak Crown
The Order of the Oak Crown (french: Ordre de la Couronne de chĂȘne, german: Eichenlaubkronenorden, lb, Eechelaafkrounenuerden) is an order of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
History
The Order of the Oak Crown was established in 1841 by Grand ...
(1999)
* Officer in the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
(2002)
*
Honorary Medal for Merits toward Museum Collections
The Honorary Medal for Merits toward Museum Collections ( nl, Erepenning voor Verdiensten jegens Openbare Verzamelingen), also known as the Museum Medal ( nl, Museummedaille), is one of the oldest civil decorations of the Netherlands. It was creat ...
(2004)
*
Honorary Medal for Art and Science
An honorary position is one given as an honor, with no duties attached, and without payment. Other uses include:
* Honorary Academy Award, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, United States
* Honorary Aryan, a status in Nazi Germa ...
(2007)
[Eremedaille voor Kunst en Wetenschap voor Rudi Fuchs]
Dutch royal house In the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the monarchy is a constitutional office and is controlled by the Constitution of the Netherlands. A distinction is made between members of the royal family and members of the royal house.
Membership
According t ...
, 2007. Retrieved on 26 September 2013.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fuchs, Rudi
1942 births
Commanders of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Dutch art critics
Dutch art historians
Leiden University alumni
Living people
Directors of museums in the Netherlands
Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
People from Eindhoven
Directors of museums in Amsterdam