It is with great sadness that the King Baudouin Foundation has learned of the unexpected death of Sir Pierre Bauchau. In 1999, Pierre Bauchau and his wife donated to the Foundation a ewer and basin made by Théodore Rasier and which had once belonged to Rubens. This act of great generosity pioneered a new type of patronage, one that has continued to develop ever since.

To accompany their donation, Pierre and Colette Bauchau created a fund bearing their name, within the Foundation. The Fund’s objective is to make the ewer and basin accessible to everyone – not just at the Rubens House where it is on permanent loan, but also by taking it to the public. Opportunities are sought to exhibit this beautiful ensemble in museums throughout Belgium and abroad. The Fund will continue to honour this aspect of the founders’ wishes.

The next temporary exhibit will be in October 2014, on the initiative of the Royal Fine Arts Museums of Belgium, when the ewer and its basin will accompany a new hanging of Rubens’s sketches and panel paintings. Sir Pierre Bauchau was able to participate in the launch of this project which was very close to his heart.