Art adrift

This exhibition tells fascinating, exciting and sometimes tragic stories hidden behind nearly 20 selected artworks. This presentation is based on research into a specific part of Bonnefanten's old art collection: the Nederlands Kunstbezit (NK) collection. Bonnefanten has this collection on long-term loan from the Dutch state. The NK collection consists of works of art returned to the Netherlands after World War II. These works had been looted, sold or pressure-sold in the Netherlands by or on behalf of Nazi promoters.

Hidden stories

Besides their art-historical value, the works on display have many other stories to tell about looting, voluntary sale or sale under duress during World War II. These hidden stories can only be revealed through thorough provenance research. They are about the pre-war owners, such as the Dutch art collectors Lanz and Goudstikker and the Viennese Rothschild family, the art trade during WWll and the works' stay in Nazi Germany due to the collecting drives of Hitler and Göring, among others. After the war, a decades-long search for the rightful owners often follows, sometimes leading to restitution (restitution), but often involving legal battles.

Topical issue

Finding out whether a work of art has been stolen or sold under duress has never been more topical in the Netherlands. Dutch museums and the National Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE) have been investigating their collections with increasing intensity in recent years. The presentation ‘Kunst op drift’ tells the story of this restitution process in three periods: 1900-1945, 1945-1997 and 1997-present.

From the moment the Allies returned the pieces from Germany to the Netherlands, the state tried to get them to their rightful owners through a restitution process. Works not claimed after liberation are auctioned off by the state or set aside for museums and other public buildings. This collection is called Dutch Art Property or the NK Collection. Bonnefanten has 132 works from the NK collection on long-term loan.

Since 2022, new impetus has been given to provenance research on the NK collection. The period 1933-1940 is now also included and RCE researchers are again actively searching for rightful owners. Bonnefanten is also responsible for provenance research on its own collection. For new acquisitions whose provenance between 1930 and 1950 is unknown, a provenance research protocol is carried out in which various databases are consulted. Most of these databases are publicly accessible. ‘Art adrift’ is thus also an invitation to anyone who wants to do provenance research on their art objects.