[Family archive] Art collector Arnold van Buuren and Juliëtte van Buuren-Polak,

both died at Sobibor, 23 April 1943. Archive consisting of 18 pieces of documentation in modern binder, incl. an impressive list with paintings of great masters such as Lippi (2x), Mantegna, Botticelli, Rembrandt (4x), Gainsborough, Hals, Steen, Vermeer, etc., letters regarding the collection of paintings, letters regarding the "Jodenvraagstuk" (by Arnold van Buuren and others) and a post-war, unused declaration form of the Stichting Nederlandsch Kunstbezit, also a green-leather correspondence case (20.5 x 30 x 8.5 cm.) with initials "JB" (Juliette van Buuren or J.V. Bijlardt?) with 65 pre-war (family) photos in various sizes, a picture postcards, and notebook with prices of paintings and 3 pocket mirrors.

Interesting and intriguing archive, due to the (new?) light being cast on the provenance of various world-famous paintings. One example that speaks volumes: the list mentions a Rembrandt painting: "Taufe des Negers" (today known as "The Baptism of the Eunuch"). In the small notebook (6.2 x 5.3 cm., 16 pages written in pencil with prices of paintings and on the last page "Mr. + Mme A. Van Buuren"), mostly paintings by Rembrandt appear, incl. the work "Christus met Moren". The painting "De Doop van de Kamerling" [in which Christ does not appear] was purchased in 1976 by the Aartsbisschoppelijk Museum, the current Catharijneconvent in Utrecht. At the time, the seller wished to remain anonymous, but the RKD mentions as provenance Mevrouw J.V. Bijlard and the fact that this painting was bought by her grandfather in 1900. An extraordinary coince leads to the initials on the case to match with both Juliëtte van Buuren-Polak and Mevrouw J.V. Bijlard. But the case also contains (besides the notebook) several picture postcards addressed to Juliëtte van Buuren and several photos with the name Van Buuren on reverse, the contents are therefore related to that family. The documents include a letter from a lawyer, Dr. Klein, dated 30 December 1941 to "Zeer Geachte Heer van Buuren", belonging with the list of the paintings. According to the letter, this list had been compiled "destijds" by Dr. Klein during a visit to Van Buuren. This as a consequence of the fact that Dr. Klein had heard that (part of) the paintings were to be sold, and that an acquaintance from Cologne considered buying a painting. This would mean that the paintings (including the "Taufe des Negers") on the list were still in the possession of Arnold van Buuren circa 1941. The documents also include a letter from Arnold van Buuren at the head of the telephone district Haarlem, after his telephone connection was shut off in 1942 (the P.T.T. message announcing of the termination is also included in the archive). In this letter he denies being of Jewish heritage, and states having Aryan descendants impaired by this decision. The signature of Van Buuren has been torn from the paper. Arnold van Buuren's father was Jewish, but his mother was not. EXTRA INFORMATION: Of course we have shared our findings with the Catharijneconvent. The Restitutiecommissie and Bureau Herkomst indicate that the painting mentioned in our Van Buuren-archive "Taufe des Negers" is A DIFFERENT PAINTING with the same subject (Doop van de Kamerling). The painting mentioned in the achive is therefore NOT the painting with inventory number ABM S380 in the Catharijneconvent.