Flanders buys masterpiece by painter Rik Wouters for 1.8m euros
The Flemish government has purchased a masterpiece by Belgian painter Rik Wouters, who lived from 1882 to 1916, for 1.8 million euros. ‘The Red Curtains’ is an iconic work by Wouters from 1913. With the purchase, the painting is now part of the Flemish Community's cultural heritage.
‘The Red Curtains’ is considered one of Rik Wouters' most iconic paintings. It is a famous portrait that he painted of his wife and muse Nel Duerinckx in their home in Bosvoorde in 1913. Summer light streams into the room through the open windows, but the focus is on Nel's white-and-red striped dress and the two red curtains.
The painting was in 2007 already included in the Vlaamse Topstukkenlijst, the Flemish List of Masterpieces. That is the list of all objects and collections considered rare and indispensable for Flanders. The list includes eight works by Rik Wouters. Of these, four are already kept at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA).
The Flemish government is paying almost 1.8 million euros for the painting. “That amount reflects the unique place the work occupies in Wouters‘ oeuvre,” stated the government.
According to Flemish culture minister Caroline Gennez, it is important to protect such masterpieces for future generations. “I am pleased that we will be able to add such a magnificent masterpiece to the Flemish Community Collection, and that it soon can be admired by the general public,” she said.
#FlandersNewsService | Rik Wouters expo in Mechelen in 2011 © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
Related news
