The Rijksmuseum Appraises Sculpture and Finds A Gem at Sotheby’s
The Rijksmuseum acquired a terracotta sculpture at the Sotheby's sale held in Amsterdam and was able to discover that the maker of the object was Jean-Louis van Geel, court sculptor for Willem II.
At the auction of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands’ collection, The Rijksmuseum found a gem. In Amsterdam at Sotheby’s the terracotta sculpture of two women were labeled as being credited to “Louis Royer’s circle”. The museum has now confirmed that their purchase is attributed to the court sculptor Jean-Louis van Geel (1787-1852), a prominent neoclassical sculptor.
At only 48 cm, the piece is signed “L. van … 1816” and shows two women classically depicted with the lion of the Netherlands at their feet showing the unification of the Netherlands and Belgium.
Frits Scholten, Curator of Sculpture at the Rijksmuseum says, “Learning of the artistic and historical details of this sculpture was the Rijksmuseum’s highlight of the Juliana auction! It’s fantastic that we are able to preserve this work – an unknown sculpture by Willem II’s court sculptor – for the nation.”
Posted by, Lauren Guzniczak