Last week here, I wrote about the shocking situation in Berlin, where the city’s current plan to accommodate the gift of the the Pietzsch collection of modern art involves the emptying of the Gemaeldegalerie, which houses the State Museums’ world-class old master paintings collection, and moving in the 20th century works.
Some Old Master paintings — perhaps including the Durer at right and the Vermeer below — would be sent to the Bode museum and the rest would go into storage for at least six years, possibly longer, depending on whether or not the state can find and finance a new home for the Old Masters (more selections from the collection are here).Â
Many Real Clear Arts readers were as appalled as I was, and remain.
Over the weekend, Jeffrey Hamburger, the Harvard art historian who has been calling attention to this plan, posted a petition to the powers that be at Change.org.
It asks for:
- true disclosure of what would happen to the Old Master collection under the current plan – it’s very unclear how much would go into storage and how much would be stuffed into the Bode.
-  concrete plans to display the Old Master collection that is currently on view in its entirety concurrently — whether in a new or adapted building.
-  an adequate strategy that will do justice to the whole of Berlin’s extraordinary collections, including a home for Berlin’s growing collections of modern art.
Who could be opposed to that?
Please join others who care about art in signing the petition here.
As I post this, more than 2,100 have signed on — including James Marrow, emeritus professor at Princeton; Robert Darnton, University Professor and University Librarian at Harvard; Frederick Ilchman, curator of paintings at the MFA-Boston; Yve-Alain Bois, of the Institute for Advanced Study; many curators, art historians, art dealers, and people who just love art. Many come from Germany itself, and as far away as Australia. It’s heartening to see people sign on from all over the world.
Photo Credits: © SMB, Gemäldegalerie; Fotos: Jörg P. Anders