Greenwich Post
Bruce exhibit is Greenwich family’s dream realized
Nov 29, 2007

As a longtime friend of the Bruce Museum, Marei von Saher has seen many exhibits come and go representing all art forms and time periods. But the one the museum is readying for this coming May will be of special significance to the Greenwich resident because it will allow her to share, for the first time, treasured pieces of her family’s collection once feared lost forever.

Ms. von Saher and her family are the descendants of Jacques Goudstikker, who was known as the pre-eminent art dealer of Old Master paintings in Amsterdam, Netherlands, before World War II. Mr. Goudstikker had amassed a vast collection of about 1,400 pieces of art, before the Nazi invasion forced him to attempt to flee his home.

Mr. Goudstikker was killed in an accident while trying to escape and his collection was looted by the Nazis. The infamous Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring forced the sale of the paintings to himself for a fraction of their worth and some even reportedly ended up in the collection of Adolph Hitler. Once the war was over, the Allied forces gave the paintings to the Dutch government and in 2006 they were returned to Ms. von Saher, who was Mr. Goudstikker’s sole remaining heir.

Now the works will be on display at the Bruce as the main feature in “Reclaimed: Paintings From the Collection of Jacques Goudstikker.” The exhibit will begin at the Bruce on May 10 and run through Sept. 7 before being displayed at The Jewish Museum in New York City from March 14, 2009, to Aug. 2. The exhibition was announced earlier this month at a press conference at The Jewish Museum. It will feature 35 works that Ms. von Saher feels will showcase Mr. Goudstikker’s renowned eye for art and also tell the story of the paintings’ recovery and restoration to their rightful owner.

“This is truly a dream come true,” Ms. von Saher told the Post last week. “A wrong was righted through our restoration claim and it has long been a dream to have a traveling exhibition of these paintings. We worked so hard for this and it’s finally come true. People all over the world will once again be able to view this art. I’m sure that’s what he would have wanted done if he had survived his journey. To be able to show this collection in different parts of the world will be wonderful.”

While the exhibition is months from opening, that time is likely to fly by for Ms. von Saher, who will be intimately involved in putting the show together.

“A lot of work needs to be done,” Ms. von Saher said. “The family and all our friends are very much looking forward to this. To have 35 of the best paintings on display will be a spectacular moment for us.”

The exhibit is also of particular interest to Peter Sutton, executive director of the Bruce and an expert in Old Masters work from Northern Europe. He said he’s eager to see the pieces on display and is confident the show will be a good one, with the story behind the paintings being an added attraction.

“Obviously it adds a special interest to the exhibition,” Mr. Sutton said. “The paintings are already special in their own right as examples of Western European culture, but the story of the criminal seizing of these paintings and that Hitler collected these objects will make it more interesting to the casual museum visitor. This is something that’s going to the be the subject of a lot of interest and I think people will want to see it all.”

Ms. von Saher had been a friend of the museum’s for many years when she approached Mr. Sutton about holding the exhibit. He said he jumped at the chance to make her family’s dream a reality through the Bruce and Ms. von Saher said Mr. Sutton’s expertise made the Bruce the ideal choice.

“We could not have found a better man,” Ms. von Saher said. “I’m extremely proud to be able to do this in town. We’ve lived here for 32 years and everything just fell into place so well.”

Because of the extra interest surrounding the collection, Mr. Sutton said the Bruce won’t just be looking to display the art, but make it part of an overall education about art recovery and restoration to its rightful owners. There will even be legal education on the matter, sponsored by the museum. Mr. Sutton said Nazi-looted art remains a “hot topic” and he is eager to see the discussion that the exhibition will inspire.

“Not only will there be an exhibition of beautiful works of art, but I believe the educational aspect of this show will be fascinating as well,” Mr. Sutton said. “There are lots of ways people will be able to get engaged by attending.”

The exhibition will not just include pieces currently owned by the family, but works sold through the years to private collectors and museums. Those pieces will be temporarily restored to the collection for the exhibition, through arrangements with the collectors, something that didn’t come cheaply, but also enhances the show by putting more on display.

“It makes it a more costly show, but it really adds to the collection,” Mr. Sutton said. “We’re going to have some wonderful pieces on display and it’s already brought in national and international coverage.”

Ms. von Saher said it wasn’t hard to get other collectors and museums involved because of the impact Mr. Goudstikker had on the art world. She said others were eager to allow the works to be displayed as part of the show.

“It just shows you what fine taste he had and how respected he was by other museums and dealers,” Ms. von Saher said.

But while this is a dream come true for the family, it also is an acknowledgment of the tragedies of the past.

“It’s very bittersweet,” Ms. von Saher said. “When you dive into the past it will hurt at times, but you also have success and that’s rewarding. I’m learning to look back a lot less and instead look forward to the positive impact this collection will have in the future.”

An international tour of the exhibit is planned, and Mr. Sutton said he’s proud to have the Bruce associated with the event, which is just one of several museum-sponsored exhibits that have gone worldwide.

“The real story of the Bruce is that it thinks up good ideas for shows that are then sent everywhere to raise the profile of the institution,” Mr. Sutton said. “Our shows have gone all over the world. We are really ‘the little engine that could.’”

Ms. von Saher said she wants to see people coming out from the exhibit not only with a fresh appreciation for the art, but for the impact Mr. Goudstikker had on the art world.

“Hopefully people will really make an effort to see these old paintings,” Ms. von Saher said. “It will be very interesting to see the reaction of the younger generation. They focus more on modern art but the museum is able to offer both modern and Old Masters and this will be something for everyone to see.”