First Herman Brood painting joins the state art collection
An untitled work by the singer and artist, who died in 2001, is the first Brood in the state collection (Rijkscollectie), alongside Rembrandt and Mondriaan.
An untitled painting by Herman Brood, the singer and artist who died in 2001, has been added to the Dutch state art collection, the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE) reports. The painting was presented on Thursday at the Collectiecentrum Nederland in Amersfoort.
It is the first time a work by Brood has been included in the state collection, a set of more than 120,000 artworks and historical objects owned by the Dutch state. Brood joins 17th-century masters such as Rembrandt van Rijn and his pupils Govert Flinck and Ferdinand Bol, and modernists such as Piet Mondriaan, Karel Appel and Armando.
The brightly coloured acrylic painting shows two men with a pistol. Until recently it hung on the wall at the tax administration (Belastingdienst).
Because many fake Brood works and forged certificates are in circulation, the RCE says it spent a lot of time in recent months establishing the work's authenticity. It did so with Stichting Valsbrood, a team of three former friends of Brood who specialise in recognising forgeries.
The RCE conservators say they reached the decision because "we believe Herman Brood, as an icon of the twentieth century, deserves more recognition as an artist".
In a statement, the conservators write that his early work in particular is creative and original, because he experimented with all kinds of techniques, yet the artist's hand is clearly recognisable. They mention his use of primary colours and his habit of applying paint with syringes. "It was his own version of action painting. Or perhaps we can better speak of 'rock 'n' roll on canvas'."
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RCE (Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed)
The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands is the national government agency that protects and manages the country's cultural heritage, such as archaeological finds, historic buildings and museum collections. It also manages the Dutch state art collection (Rijkscollectie), which holds artworks owned by the state and makes them available for display and research. Its Collectiecentrum Nederland in Amersfoort is where many of these objects are stored and cared for.