Vereniging Rembrandt (''Rembrandt Foundation'' or ''Rembrandt Association'') is a Dutch association of art patrons who raise funds to assist Dutch museums and art galleries in purchasing artworks. Since it was founded in 1883, it has helped purchase over two thousand works, including Vermeer's '' The Milkmaid''.

History

The 19th century saw a major exodus of Dutch art out of the country. In 1883 the 'de Vos' drawings collection came to auction, but remained out of reach of any Dutch museum's budget. A few private individuals 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 ...

founded the Vereniging before the auction was completed and managed to help keep a large number of major drawings from the collection in the Netherlands. Its initial aims were to fund the conservation of Dutch artworks already in the Netherlands and buying back ones from abroad, though it is no longer limited to works by

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...

, and other 17th century

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( nl, Gouden Eeuw ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 (the birth of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the Rampjaar, "Disaster Year"), in which Dutch trade, science, and Dutch art, ...

painters. Its current aims include helping to acquire works for public collections in the Netherlands and/or supporting acquisitions by Dutch galleries and museums. Initially the Vereniging only loaned the funds, to be repaid later by the state or by the museum or gallery itself, but later donations were given to purchase works both in the Netherlands and overseas, both Dutch and non-Dutch works. After 1945 it expanded its remit from old masters to modern art and an educational aim was added in 2002. It began with 250 members, rising to 300 by 1907, 900 by 1983, over 12,650 by the end of 2015 and around 15,700 members by the end of 2018. Museums supported by the Vereniging give free entry to their permanent displays to its members. Its other income streams include donations, bequests, returns on its investments and since 1960 an annual contribution from the

Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds The Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds was founded by Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands in London in 1940 during World War II in order to buy war material for the British and Dutch Governments. It continued after the war as Stichting Prins Bernhard Cultu ...

Selected campaigns

* 1885 - ''Provinciaal Museum van Oudheden'' (now known as the

Drents Museum The Drents Museum () is an art and history museum in Assen, Drenthe, in the Netherlands. The museum was opened in 1854. It has a collection of prehistorical artifacts, applied art, and visual art. The museum also has temporary exhibitions. In 20 ...

) in Drenthe - helped to buy eight medieval

fonts In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a typeface. Each font is a matched set of type, with a piece (a "sort") for each glyph. A typeface consists of a range of such fonts that shared an overall design. In mode ...

* 1887 -

Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the St ...

in Amsterdam - helped to purchase a silver drinking-bowl by

Adam van Vianen Adam van Vianen (1568– 1627) was a leading silversmith of the early Dutch Golden Age, who trained as an engraver and was also a medallist. Unlike his brother Paul van Vianen, he spent little time away from his native Utrecht. Together they ...

* 1931 -

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Municipal Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen () is an art museum in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The name of the museum is derived from the two most important collectors of Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans and Daniël George van Beuningen. It is located at ...

- ''

The Wayfarer ''The Wayfarer'' (or ''The Pedlar'') is an oil on panel painting by Hieronymus Bosch, created ''c.'' 1500. It is currently in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. This painting is round and in diameter. It is one of the fragments of a par ...

'' by

Hieronymus Bosch Hieronymus Bosch (, ; born Jheronimus van Aken ; – 9 August 1516) was a Dutch/Netherlandish painter from Brabant. He is one of the most notable representatives of the Early Netherlandish painting school. His work, generally oil on oa ...

* 1967 -

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 - Cut-out by

Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known prima ...

* 1976 - Rijksmuseum - helped buy a guild cup, again by van Vianen * 2014 - Rijksmuseum - 4 million Euros to help buy a bronze

bacchante In Greek mythology, maenads (; grc, μαινάδες ) were the female followers of Dionysus and the most significant members of the Thiasus, the god's retinue. Their name literally translates as "raving ones". Maenads were known as Bassarids, ...

Adriaen de Vries Adriaen de Vries (c.1556–1626) was a Northern Mannerist sculptor born in the Netherlands but working in Central Europe, whose international style crossed the threshold to the Baroque; he excelled in refined modelling and bronze casting and ...

* 2015 - Rijksmuseum - 5 million Euros to help buy Rembrandt's marriage portraits of Marten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit, which were ultimately bought jointly by the Rijksmuseum and the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

* 2019-2021 - Rijksmuseum - 15 million Euro's to help buy Rembrandt's

Standard Bearer A standard-bearer, also known as a flag-bearer is a person (soldier or civilian) who bears an emblem known as a standard or military colours, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used (and often honoured) as a f ...

Vereniging Rembrandt zegt steun toe voor aankoop 'Vaandeldrager' van Rembrandt
"largest support amount thus far" notice on society's website, 8 December 2021

References

External links

* {{cite web, url=http://www.verenigingrembrandt.nl/, title=Official website, language=nl Museums in the Netherlands Clubs and societies in the Netherlands 1883 establishments in the Netherlands Charities based in the Netherlands Arts foundations based in Europe Arts organisations based in the Netherlands