The Flemish government bought a painting by Adrian Brouwer, a seventeenth century painter, gambler and lush, for € 742.990,65. In june last year that very same painting was sold by a Brussels auction house for € 4.600.The Flemish government claims it did a good deal nevertheless, because last year, the unsigned painting had not been attributed to Brouwer yet. Our brilliant masters claim they could resell the painting for a profit - even now.
Our Bertje said : "... een galerij mag gokken, maar de overheid niet, want we geven belastinggeld uit." (A galery can gamble but the government can not, because we spend taxpayers money. Unfortunately he does not always seem to remember that he is spending taxpayers money ... )
But then, what a splendid acquisition for our cultural heritage ! And whatever we do ourselves, we most often do it so much better, don't we ?
1 comment:
Don't misunderstand me. I hold Brouwer in high esteem for his masterful renderings of ordinary people; I prefer him to the often pompous Rubens with his nobles and saints.
Contrary to Rubens, Brouwer did not build a substantial fortune. He died a pauper in his early thirties.
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