In 2022, Renate Luck - von der Ohe made a donation to the King Baudouin Foundation of a vast collection of 4 centuries of art, which she had built up with her late husband. Among the works is an exceptional (17th century) floral still life by Judith Leyster.
An exceptional collection of art covering 4 centuries
This enormous collection, of almost 250 works of great artistic value, covers the period from the 16th to the 19th centuries. A remarkable 17th century painting by Judith Leyster, which is the flagship work of the collection, has been entrusted to the Snijders&Rockoxhuis Museum in Antwerp. Judith Leyster is one of the most famous female painters of the 17th century. Recognised by her peers, at the age of only 22 she became a member of the prestigious Saint-Luc’s Guild in Haarlem in the Netherlands. Having risen to the top of the hierarchy in a man’s world, she was soon forgotten after her death. Happily, during the 19th century, she was rediscovered. Work by her can be found in several major international museums. Among the paintings from the Romantic period of the 19th century are many by artists of the Flemish, Dutch and German schools. A major part of the collection comprises dozens of remarkable pieces of furniture and sculptures and Delft earthenware, as well as 17th and 18th century French and Flemish silverware.
An anthology of artistic movements
The value of the collection’s paintings (amounting to some 70 works) lies in the fact that they provide a unique insight into landscape painting from the Romantic, Impressionist and Realist movements. Twelve paintings have now been entrusted to the Suermondt Ludwig Museum in Aachen, where a special room has been created for this collection. Works by artists from the prestigious academies of Antwerp and Brussels now rub shoulders with those from the schools of Dusseldorf and The Hague. Seeing these works together enables us to visualise similarities and influences between the major artistic movements of the 19th century and to understand the contribution made by Belgian artists to the development of landscape painting. Another group of paintings is kept at the Maison Janssens, in Sint-Niklaas, whilst others are now held at the B.C. Koekkoek Haus, home of the famous Dutch landscape painter in Kleve, in Germany.
35 years of a shared passion for art
Hanns and Renate Luck - von der Ohe both came from families of art lovers and collectors and as a couple they shared 35 years of passion for our country’s art. They were active on the art market, but kept the works they really loved for their own collection. They set up the Hanns and Renate Luck - von der Ohe Fund within the King Baudouin Foundation to ensure its future and to make their entire collection accessible to everyone. They also wished to raise public awareness and knowledge about art over the four centuries covered by their collection. In so doing, the promotion and people’s understanding of our country’s heritage are also being further strengthened.
