The Nivaagaard Collection was originally a private collection created by landowner and politician Johannes Hage (1842-1923). Johannes Hage collected mainly Dutch and Flemish paintings from the early modern period. His acquisitions contrast the purchases of ‘modern’ paintings from the successful Danish and French schools done by contemporary Danish collectors. In order to build his collection, he received valuable help from friends and art connoisseurs, including the Dutch art historian Cornelis Hofstede de Groot (1863-1930), whose bequest formed the foundation of the RKD collections today.

Collection catalogue

The collection of Dutch and Flemish Art at Nivaagaard includes works by Rembrandt, Pieter Claesz., Salomon Ruysdael, Jan Steen, and Cornelis de Vos, Pieter Brueghel II, and David Teniers II. The result of the research project will be a catalogue of these until now little-known works, reflecting the latest expertise in art history and the technical study of paintings. Because the collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings reflects the acquisitions by Hage, another aim of this project is to understand Hage’s preference: what exactly did Hage buy, how and where did he acquire these works, and what determined him to focus his collecting activities so strongly on these old masters? The historical attributions will be critically evaluated, and the works will be positioned in a new art historical context.

Collaboration

The research will be done in 2022-2023 by Jørgen Wadum, Specialty Consultant on Dutch and Flemish Art at the Nivaagaard Collection and Angela Jager, Curator Dutch and Flemish Old Master Paintings at the RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History.