Dutch and Flemish paintings at The Nivaagaard Collection. Attributions, the acquisition history, and their artistic significance in an international context.

The Dutch and Flemish paintings reflect the acquisition line of Nivaagaard’s founder Johannes Hage (1842-1923): Hage had inherited most of the Danish Golden Age paintings from his parents, whereas he acquired the old master paintings himself. These acquisitions of Dutch and Flemish paintings contrast the purchases done by his contemporaries of ‘modern’ paintings from the successful Danish and French schools. The overall goal of this research is to understand Hage’s purchases of Dutch and Flemish paintings: what exactly did Hage buy, how and where did he acquire these works, and what determined him to focus his collecting activities so strongly on these old masters? The historical attributions will be critically evaluated, and the works will be positioned in a new art historical context of current knowledge.