Van Gogh Museum Journal 1997-1998

[p. 26]

fig. 1
H.P. Bremmer, Portrait of Gerlach Ribbius Peletier, 1907, Linschoten, Verzameling Stichting Landgoed Linschoten

[p. 27]

Van Gogh in Utrecht: the collection of Gerlach Ribbius Peletier (1856-1930)
Louis van Tilborgh and Marije Vellekoop⁺

In the first ten years following his death Van Gogh did not enjoy a particularly high reputation in the Netherlands. The art market was experiencing great difficulties, and only a few collectors believed in the artist unreservedly. His works had not yet proved their value and were sold only sporadically. This did not change until the beginning of the 20th century, when modest collectors among the well-to-do took an interest in his art. Interestingly they showed a preference for his Dutch work. Until the turn of the century the emphasis in exhibitions had been on Van Gogh's French paintings and drawings, but soon after 1900 works from his time in Holland began to receive more and more attention, as many artworks from this period were recently (re)discovered. The previous ‘reversed order’ in exhibiting Van Gogh's work was also remarked on in a review in Onze Kunst: ‘By chance the world was first presented with the pictures from the second, more impassioned period. [...] But this phase of superhuman struggle was not seen in the correct light as long as his earlier Dutch work remained unknown. It is now emerging piece by piece: first his drawings and watercolours, in which there is so much piercing emotion and telling characterisation, and finally his oil paintings, which include examples - compared with what he did later - of what one could almost call paradoxical capability.’¹

One of the new collectors of the early 20th century was Gerlach Ribbius Peletier (1856-1930) (fig. 1), the son of Gerlach Ribbius Peletier Sr (1818-1901) who came from Zaltbommel, where his father and Lion Philips (1794-1866) had founded a business dealing in coffee, tea and tobacco.² In 1844 Ribbius Peletier Sr started a similar enterprise in Utrecht, the later Koninklijke Sigarenfabriek G. Ribbius Peletier. This made him a fortune and by the end of his life he was even a multimillionaire.

To prepare him for his future role as successor to his father, Ribbius Peletier Jr, the first child and only son, was sent to the Handelsschule in Leipzig at the age of 16. In 1885 Ribbius Peletier Sr took his son into the management of the cigar factory. He proved not to be cut out for business, however, and in 1891 his father bought him the Linschoten estate, near Woerden. There, by now a married man with three children, Ribbius Peletier Jr lived the life of a landed gentleman in the British style.³ In the absence of a successor, the tobacco business was sold in 1896. When Ribbius Peletier Sr died five years later, his son received a substantial legacy. Relieved of the burden of a somewhat tyrannical father, he immediately set about enjoying his new-found freedom. In 1901 he had a house built for his family on the Maliebaan in Utrecht and began seriously building up an art collection (figs. 2-4).⁴

+ This article could not have been written without the cooperation of Prof. A.W. Reinink and H. Coelingh Bennink of Archief Organisatie Coelingh Bennink, who made it possible for us to consult the archives of the Ribbius Peletier family at the Linschoten estate. We would also like to thank Hildelies Balk for providing information about people associated with Bremmer.

1 R. Jacobsen, ‘Een Van Gogh-tentoonstelling te Groningen,’ Onze Kunst 3 (1904), no. 7, pp. 2-3: ‘Het toeval heeft gewild, dat de wereld eerst het werk van de tweede, hartstochtelijker periode heeft te zien gekregen [...] Maar deze periode van bovenmenschelijk pogen kwam niet onder het rechte licht, zoolang men zijn vroegere Hollandsche werk niet kende. Bij stukjes en beetjes komt dat dan voor den dag; eerst zijn teekeningen en aquarellen, waarbij zooveel van doordringende ontroering en rake typeering, - eindelijk zijn olieverf-werk, waaronder in vergelijking met wat hij later gedaan heeft, staaltjes van - ik zou haast zeggen paradoxaal kunnen.’

2 M. Witteveen-Jansen, Twee eeuwen Philips in Zaltbommel, Zaltbommel 1991, p. 6, and W. Reinink (ed.), Landgoed Linschoten, een geschiedboek, Bussum 1994, p. 183. The biographical information on Ribbius Peletier Sr and Jr given here is derived from the latter publication.

3 Ribbius Peletier had married Adriana Louisa Wijbelingh in 1886; their first child was born a year later. The family first lived on the Moreelsepark and later on the Maliesingel in Utrecht.

4 In 1890 Ribbius Peletier made what are believed to have been his first acquisitions, namely two works by the ‘minor master’ Arthur Briët; see Lindschoten, Huis te Linschoten, Ribbius Peletier family archive (1813-1993), no. 803 (henceforth RP archive).

[p. 28]

fig. 2
The Ribbius Peletier family at the house at Maliebaan 15, Utrecht, 1903-04. From left to right: Gerlach, Elisabeth, Adriana, Adriana Louisa Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh with Louise on her lap, Davina, and Gerlach Ribbius Peletier. On the left Van Gogh's Head of a woman (no. 3) is partly visible. Linschoten, Verzameling Stichting Landgoed Linschoten

Bremmer's influence

Ribbius Peletier's first purchase in the field of modern art was Woman digging by Vincent van Gogh (no. 1), which he bought in late 1902.⁵ He acquired a taste for this artist and also had a particular liking for the work of Floris Verster (1861-1927) (fig. 5) and Jan van Goyen (1596-1656). Indeed, his collection was ‘best known for its fine Van Goyens, Versters and above all Van Goghs.’⁶ With eight paintings, Van Goyen was the best represented among the Old Masters, while Van Gogh with ten works and Verster with seven formed the core of his collection of contemporary art, which eventually embraced 110 pieces.⁷ These included, among others, work by lesser-known artists such as Van Daalhoff (1867-1953), Degouve de Nuncques (1867-1935), Hettinga Tromp (1872-1962), Zandleven (1868-1923) and Van Rijsselberghe (1862-1926). In addition to paintings and works on paper, Ribbius Peletier collected numerous small sculptures by contemporary artists such as Altorf (1876-1955), Mendes da Costa (1863-1939), Minne (1866-1941), Raedecker (1885-1956) and Zijl (1866-1947).⁸

This characteristic but at first rather odd-seeming combination of disparate masters reflects the fact that Ribbius Peletier's collection was formed under the influence of the painter and art teacher H.P. Bremmer (1871-1956), who, from 1893, gave lessons in art to interested members of the wealthy classes.⁹ Ribbius Peletier

fig. 3
The Ribbius Peletier family at the house at Maliebaan 15, Utrecht, 1910. From left to right: Davina, Elisabeth, Louise (seated), Adriana Louisa Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh, Gerlach Ribbius Peletier, Gerlach. Linschoten, Verzameling Stichting Landgoed Linschoten

took instruction from Bremmer from 1896 on, later even at his new house on the Maliebaan, as Davina van Wely, his daughter, tells us. In a letter to Bremmer's children following his death she recalled these gatherings: ‘Our thoughts turned involuntarily to our childhood in Utrecht, when your father regularly gave lessons at Maliebaan 15 and then stayed to drink coffee. The discussions with him were always interesting and instructive.’¹⁰

In both Bremmer's lessons and the journals he published Van Gogh played a prominent role. In Moderne

5 RP archive, ‘Lijst Inkoop van Schilderijen, Porcelein & Kunstvoorwerpen,’ no. 825. This inventory was drawn up after April 1921.

6 See The Hague, Gemeente Archief, Bremmer archive, Aleida Bremmer-Beekhuis, ‘Dienaar der kunst’ (manuscript), 1937-41, p. 325: ‘Steeds kwamen er meer liefhebbers die gaarne onder zijne leiding hunne collectie verrijkten. Onder die van den eersten tijd, neemt die van den Heer G. Ribbius Peletier te Utrecht een eerste plaats in, vooral om de fijne van Goyens, Versters en bovenal van Goghs’ (‘More and more art lovers came who wanted to add to their collections under his guidance. Among the earliest, the collection of Mr G. Ribbius Peletier of Utrecht takes pride of place, chiefly because of its fine Van Goyens, Versters and above all Van Goghs’).

7 The collection of Old Masters will not be considered further here.

8 Van Daalhoff was represented by seven works, Degouve de Nuncques by three, Hettinga Tromp by four, Zandleven by six, Van Rijsselberghe by two, Altorf by nine, Minne and Raedecker by two, and Mendes da Costa and Zijl by thirteen.

9 H. Balk, ‘De freule, de professor, de koopman en zijn vrouw,’ Jong Holland 9 (1993), no. 2, p. 5.

10 The Hague, Gemeente Archief, Bremmer archive, letter from D. van Wely-Ribbius Peletier to Bremmer's family, 20 February 1956 (on the occasion of his death): ‘Onze gedachten gingen onwillekeurig naar onze jeugd in Utrecht, toen Uw Vader geregeld in de Maliebaan 15 les gaf en daarna bleef koffiedrinken. De gespprekken met hem waren steeds interressant en leerrijk.’

[p. 29]

fig. 4
The Ribbius Peletier family at the house at Maliebaan 15, Utrecht, 1910. From left to right: Adriana, Louise, Adriana Louisa Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh, Davina, Gerlach Ribbius Peletier, Gerlach (standing), Elisabeth. Linschoten, Verzameling Stichting Landgoed Linschoten

Kunstwerken, for example - the journal Bremmer published between 1903 and 1910 - he was the artist most frequently discussed. Four issues were devoted exclusively to him.¹¹ In his choice of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings, the art educator revealed a preference for the artist's Dutch work. It seems that Bremmer saw parallels between himself and the older artist, both in his development from naturalism via neo-impressionism to a personal idealism, and in the sense of having had a vocation for art.¹² The interest in Van Gogh's work among those taking Bremmer's course can thus be attributed to the influence of this ‘apostle of art,’ who also felt no scruples about recommending other artists he valued to his wealthy pupils.

With his early Van Gogh acquisitions, Ribbius Peletier set the tone for Bremmer's students in Utrecht. He bought his first work at the end of 1902, while A.C. Kapteijn-van Heijst, the wife of the mathematics professor W. Kapteijn, only acquired Van Gogh's Still life with ginger jar and apples (f 104 jh 923) in 1904, and C.E.A. Mees-Moll, the wife of an alderman, bought the Old tower at Nuenen of 1885 (f 184 jh 458) probably around the same time.¹³ Another student, the surgeon and lecturer at the Universiteit van Utrecht, J.E. van der Meulen, purchased two works by Van Gogh: Still life with brass coffee pot of 1885 (f 202 jh 738) and the drawing People under an umbrella (f 990 jh 172) from The Hague-period, both of inferior quality.¹⁴

Ribbius Peletier was not, however, the first in Bremmer's Utrecht circle with a taste for Van Gogh. That honour went to the young schoolmistress W. Haakma van Roijen, who in 1898 - at the age of 24 - had bought Van Gogh's Field with poppies (f 636 jh 2027).¹⁵ The purchase was made following an exhibition of works from Johanna van Gogh-Bonger's collection at Arts & Crafts in The Hague, where the painting was on display.¹⁶ ‘She was the only one without money among a group of rich people, most of whom shook their heads at such extravagance,’ Bremmer's wife was to write later.¹⁷ The critic Albert Plasschaert, who had written the introduction to the catalogue, encouraged Bremmer to assist in the young student's

11 Elly Stegeman, ‘Bremmer, Van Gogh en de praktische esthetica,’ Jong Holland 9 (1993), no. 2, pp. 37-48, especially p. 48, notes 23 and 25.

12 Ibid., p. 48.

13 Mrs Mees-Moll must have already owned the painting in 1905, as she is mentioned as a potential lender to the exhibition that was to take place at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam in that year. See Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Vincent van Gogh Foundation, family correspondence, letter from H.P. Bremmer to Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, undated, letter b 1969 V/1962.

14 Next to that of Ribbius Peletier the largest collection of Van Goghs was that of W.P. Ingenegeren (1853-1930). Director of the ‘Utrecht’ insurance company, he is not known to have been one of Bremmer's pupils. He managed to acquire four paintings from the Dutch period: F 203a JH -, F 212a JH 929, F 191 JH 762 and F 310a JH 1273. He bought the last two directly from Johanna van Gogh-Bonger.

15 Van Gogh's work had occasionally been collected even earlier in Utrecht, but outside Bremmer's circle. From 1892 A.E. van Eelde-van Rappard owned an otherwise unidentified Flowering orchard from the collection of Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, as appears from the latter's cash book (Amsterdan, Van Gogh Museum, Vincent van Gogh Foundation). E.M. van Hoogstraten-van Hoytema, who lived next to the Van Eelde family on the Catherijnesingel, also owned an otherwise unspecified work. Both women were friends of the writer and psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden, who may have recommended these purchases in order to give a helping hand to Johanna, another friend; see Jan Fontijn, Tweespalt: Het leven van Frederik van Eeden tot 1901, Amsterdam 1990, pp. 296-318, 365, 373.

16 Included in the catalogue, Exhibition of the paintings: Vincent van Gogh as no. 26: Flowers.

17 Bremmer-Beekhuis, op. cit. (note 6), p. 162-63: ‘Zij was de eenige ongefortuneerde onder een groep rijke menschen welke meerendeels het hoofd schudden over zoo'n buitensporigheid.’

[p. 30]

fig. 5
Floris Verster, Chestnut blossoms, 1899, Leiden, Stedelijk Museum De Lakenhal

acquisition: ‘Give her that poppy field: first because it is a beautiful thing; second because it's good if they stay in Holland, or rather his country, where he is perhaps the least honoured; 3rd because it is a source of pride to the girl - and such an attractive thing - to buy a Van Gogh, and one can boast about it [...] to everyone.’¹⁸

18 The Hague, Gemeente Archief, Bremmer archive, letter from Albert Plasschaert to Bremmer, 1898: ‘Geef ze dat klaproze-veld: 1e Omdat 't schoon ding is; 2e omdat 't goed is dat ze in Holland blijven, of liever, in z'n land waar i misschien minst geeerd is; 3e omdat het roem is voor 'n meisje - en haast een bekoorlijkheid: een Van Gogh te koopen en je roemt toch graag op menschen rond je, iedereen.’

Kunstzalen Oldenzeel

While the acquisition of a work by Van Gogh in the 1890s was not in the least considered bon ton in wealthy circles, the situation changed in the early years of this century. This was when for the first time Van Gogh's work began to be regarded as good enough to be bought by museums. In 1902 the collector Ernst Osthaus (1874-1921) purchased Van Gogh's The reaper (1889) (f 619 jh 1792) for his new museum in Hagen, and in April 1903 the Museum Boymans in Rotterdam put its newly acquired Avenue of poplars (1885) (f 45 jh 959) on display.¹⁹

Ribbius Peletier had bought his first work five months earlier: in December 1902 he acquired Van Gogh's Woman digging for f 200 from his teacher Bremmer (no. 1).²⁰ The latter was himself very attached to the painting, as indicated by his remark that he would always be prepared to buy it back for the same price.²¹ Soon afterwards, in a flush of enthusiasm following his first purchase, Ribbius Peletier was tempted by two further Van Gogh paintings, Head of a woman and Seascape at Scheveningen (nos. 2 and 3). He had seen them at the Kunstzalen Oldenzeel in Rotterdam,

19 Jan de Vries, et al. (ed.), Pieter Haverkorn van Rijsewijk 1839-1919. Dominee, journalist en museumdirecteur, Amsterdam 1996, pp. 71 -72.

20 ‘Lijst Inkoop,’ cit. (note 5).

21 This remark is to be found in Ribbius Peletier's cash book for 1898-1905 (RP archive, no. 494).

[p. 31]

where in January 1903 an exhibition of unknown Dutch work by the master had been held.²² Ribbius Peletier soon agreed a price for the portrait with Mrs Oldenzeel, buying it immediately for f 500.²³ However, the price she asked for the second work, which had been widely praised in the press, seemed him to be beyond all reason: ‘Truly I dare not bid with an asking price of f 5000 for the sea by Van Gogh,’ he wrote in a letter of 29 January 1903. ‘In my view the price is so high and so out of all proportion to the price of f 750 for the flowers and the bird's nests that the asking price ought surely to be based on that level. If that should be decided on, I will give the matter further consideration and possibly make you an offer. The absence of a signature on the piece greatly reduces the market value, especially for the future, as you would doubtless concede.’²⁴ Oldenzeel lowered the price to f 3500, whereupon Ribbius Peletier offered 2500, on condition that a certificate of authenticity be provided.²⁵ The dealer agreed without further negotiation, for this was still a record price. Oldenzeel's prices were generally much higher than those asked by Johanna Van Gogh-Bonger. For example, in April 1903, the latter sold the much finer and also larger Avenue of poplars (f 45 jh 959) to the Museum Boymans for only f 750, and in 1905 W.P. Ingenegeren acquired from her Landscape with setting sun (f 191 jh 762) for just f 350.²⁶

On receiving the works, Ribbius Peletier complained about their condition, from which we can conclude that he had either not examined them carefully himself or had relied on the judgement of a third party. If the latter were the case, this would no doubt have been Bremmer. ‘What a pity that the wood to which the paintings are attached is apparently so young. The pieces are warping badly and we will have to find a remedy for dealing with this problem.’²⁷ From the supports used for other Van Gogh paintings sold by Oldenzeel in this period, we can infer that gluing the works to them was normal practice. The original support of Seascape at Scheveningen was not canvas but paper.²⁸

In 1904 Ribbius Peletier again bought works from Oldenzeel. The Rotterdam gallery would have liked to have sold him their entire stock of works by Van Gogh, as a letter of 3 July 1904 indicates.²⁹ A great deal had remained unsold from exhibitions in 1903 and an auction in May 1904,³⁰ and it had apparently been decided to take a chance on this genuine admirer of the artist who, in addition, did not balk at high prices, as the sale of the Seascape had already shown. However, Ribbius Peletier turned out to be less eager and more critical than the dealer had hoped. ‘Having carefully considered everything, I have decided not to take up the offer of the entire collection of Vincent van Gogh,’ he informed Oldenzeel.³¹ He was interested in only five paintings and, without waiting to know the asking price, made an offer of f 3000 for ‘Autumn // Peat barge // Shepherd // Small watermill or waterwheel // Winter landscape with 4 figures carrying

22 This exhibition consisted of works Van Gogh had left with his mother in Nuenen in 1885. When she moved to Breda a year later, she gave several chests with Vincent's work for safekeeping to Mr Schrauwen, a carpenter from Breda. 15 years later Schrauwen sold the drawings and paintings to a dealer in second-hand goods, J.C. Couvreur. He in turn sold them to C. Mouwen and W. van Bakel of Breda, who in 1903 put their collection up for sale through Kunstzalen Oldenzeel. The first exhibition took place from 4 January-5 February.

23 ‘Lijst Inkoop,’ cit. (note 5).

24 RP archive, Brievenboek (1901-03), letter 348, no. 411: ‘Die prijs is m.i. zoo hoog en zoo buiten alle verhouding met een prijs van f 750 voor de bloemen en de vogelnesten dat die vraagprijs gerust op die leest zoudt kunnen worden gesteld. Wanneer men daar toe zouden kunnen besluiten, wil ik over de zaak nader denken en U dan eventueel een bod doen. Het ontbreken van eene handteekening op het stuk doet veel afbreuk voor [?] de handelswaarde vooral voor later, zooals U zelf wel zult willen toegeven.’

25 RP archive, Brievenboek (1901-03), letter 355, c. 4 February 1903, no. 411.

26 See Johanna van Gogh-Bonger's cash book, Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Vincent van Gogh Foundation. Johanna van Gogh-Bonger did not ask prices as high as Oldenzeel's until 1908-09 and then only for French works, which generally fetched more. It was only in 1924 that she sold a Nuenen painting for f 2500. This was F 140 JH 745, which was sold to the Leicester Gallery in London.

27 RP archive, Brievenboek (1901-03), letter 367, 14 February 1903, no. 411: ‘Jammer dat het hout waarop de schilderstukken bevestigd zijn, oogenschijnlijk erg versch is. De stukken trekken zeer krom en 't zal wenslijk zijn dit gebrek afdoende te verbeteren.’

28 We do not know exactly when the warping problem was cured, but it must have been some time in the 1930s or 40s. When the panel was removed, the paper probably also came off with it, after which the paint layer was transferred to canvas. The restoration was carried out by A.M. de Wild, whose name is stamped on the stretcher. De Wild advised the Stedelijk Museum on restorations from 1933, so the restoration may have been carried out soon after 1947, the year the Seascape arrived in the museum. See Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Van Gogh Museum archive, K. Beltinger, unpublished reports on the painting from the Stichting Kollektief Restauratie Atelier, Amsterdam, 1991 and 1992.

29 RP archive, Brievenboek (1903-05), letter 173, no. 412.

30 In May 1904 an attempt had been made to sell the Mouwen and Van Bakel collection by auction at Frederik Muller & Cie in Amsterdam. As at the exhibitions, most of the work remained unsold.

31 Letter 173, cit. (note 29): ‘Nadat ik alles nog eens rijpelijk heb overwogen kom ik tot het besluit om niet te reflecteren op de geheele verzameling van Vincent van Gogh.’

[p. 32]

faggots.’³² Oldenzeel did not take him seriously, but Ribbius Peletier persisted. ‘I knew that 3500 was asked for the four paintings without the winter landscape,’ he wrote. ‘I find that price far too high and believe that 3000 paid in cash for the five paintings is a very reasonable offer on my part.’³³ To increase the pressure, a day later he sent a valuation of the works by Bremmer, which has not survived.³⁴ In the end a price of f 3500 was agreed, and a new painting, Mending the nets, took the place of the Peat barge on the list.³⁵ At the end of July 1904 he became the proud owner of Evening twilight in autumn (no. 4), Mending the nets (no. 5), Shepherd with flock beneath a stormy sky (no. 6), Gennep watermill (no. 7) and Woodgatherers in the snow (no. 8).

These purchases brought the number of Van Gogh paintings in Ribbius Peletier's collection to eight. The selection was rather one-sided, as all the works were from the artist's Dutch period. Whether this was a deliberate aesthetic choice (perhaps influenced by Bremmer), inspired by thrift, or governed by what was on the market at the time is difficult to judge. In due course, however, he wanted to have a ‘French Vincent,’ too, as he mentioned to Bremmer.³⁶ In June 1911 the latter drew his attention to the small but charming View of the Alpilles (no. 9), which the Amsterdam dealer C.M. van Gogh had acquired. ‘I see here a small painting by Vincent van Gogh, 26 × 32, from his French period. It seems to me a gem and costs f 1800. For this quality the price is certainly not too high. It shows mountainous country with a few flowering trees and blue mountains in the background. The light is very beautiful and it is a fully finished work by Vincent. [...] If I had the money, I would buy it for myself on the spot. If you're considering it, don't wait too long.’³⁷

Ribbius Peletier did not hesitate, and that same month he bought the French landscape for the price asked. It is a work from Van Gogh's stay at Saint-Rémy, but he probably bought it as a work from the Arles period, as Bremmer refers to the painting as Mountain landscape in Arles in an inventory of 1918. When Ribbius Peletier bought his last Van Gogh, also a work from Saint-Rémy, he probably thought he was adding a piece from a new period in the oeuvre to his collection. He acquired this second ‘French Vincent,’ Huts; reminiscence of the north of 1890 (no. 10), eight years after acquiring the first. This time he did not use a dealer, but bought for himself at auction, possibly tipped off by Bremmer. He purchased the painting in February 1919 for f 8690 at the auction of the Sternheim collection at Frederik Muller in Amsterdam.³⁸

The ten paintings by Van Gogh in Ribbius Peletier's collection were all hung in the house on the Maliebaan in Utrecht.³⁹ No less than half were placed - together with work by Verster, Bosboom, Degouve de Nuncques, Van Daalhoff, Hettinga Tromp, Tholen, Gabriël and Hart Nibrig - in the salon: Seascape at Scheveningen (no. 3), Mending the nets (no. 5), Evening twilight in autumn (no. 4), View of the Alpilles (no. 9) and Huts; reminiscence of the north (no. 10). Two Van Goghs, the Gennep watermill (no. 7) and Head of a woman (no. 2) could be found in the living room, where they were in the distinguished company of six paintings by Jan van Goyen (fig. 6).⁴⁰ The two large pieces. Shepherd with flock beneath a stormy sky (no. 6) and Woodgatherers

32 Ibid.: ‘Herfst // Turfschuit // Schaapsherder // Kleine watermolen of Waterrad // Winterlandschap met 4 takkenbosdragers.’

33 RP archive, Brievenboek (1903-05), letter 182, 8 July 1904, no. 412: ‘Ik vind de prijs veel te hoog en meen met f 3000 voor de 5 schilderijen bij contante betaling een zeer aannemelijk bod te doen.’

34 This valuation is mentioned in the accompanying note from Ribbius Peletier to Oldenzeel: RP archive, Brievenboek (1903-05), letter 194, 9 July 1904, no. 412. That Bremmer was involved in the purchase is apparent from both the taxation and a note from Ribbius Peletier to Bremmer of 12 July 1904 (letter 205), in which he informed the latter of the rejection of his offer of f 3000. Interestingly, Ribbius Peletier noted on his inventory list (cit. [note 5]) that he had bought the five paintings from Bremmer. This is contradicted by his price negotiations with Oldenzeel in July and by the receipt he received from Kunstzalen Oldenzeel on 19 July (RP archive, no. 807).

35 This Peat barge (F 21 JH 415) was sold - probably later that year - to J. van Hoey Smith, Rotterdam; since 1997 it has been in the Drents Museum at Assen.

36 RP archive, letter from H.P. Bremmer to G. Ribbius Peletier, written on the letterhead of the dealer C.M. van Gogh, 21 June 1911, no. 811.

37 Ibid. At the bottom of this letter, J.H. de Bois, the manager of the gallery's branch in The Hague, added a few lines in which he offered to send the painting over ‘for inspection’ for a day. It is not known whether this offer was accepted: ‘Ik zie hier een klein schilderijtje van Vincent van Gogh 26 × 32 uit diens Franschen tijd. Het is volgens mij een juweel van een dingetje en kost f 1800. Voor de kwaliteit is de prijs zeker niet te groot. Het is een bergachtig terrein met een paar bloeiende boompjes er in, blauwe bergen op den achtergrond. Het licht is er heel mooi in en het is een geheel voltooid werk van Vincent. [...] Wanneer ik het geld had, dan kocht ik het direct voor mij zelf. Als je er over denkt, moet je niet al te lang wachten.’

38 ‘Lijst Inkoop,’ cit. (note 5).

39 RP archive, inventory drawn up after the death of Mrs A.L. Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh in 1939, no. 1015. This lists the works hanging in each room.

40 This room also contained work by Roelofs, Zandleven, Van Daalhoff, Van der Nat, H.J. Weissenbruch and Bilders van Bosse.

[p. 33]

in the snow (no. 8), served a decorative function: the former was hung in the office and the second in the corridor outside. Ribbius Peletier's special attachment to his first purchase is demonstrated by the fact that this painting, Woman digging (no. 1), was accorded the honour of being the only work of art to hang in his study.

Not for sale

The Van Goghs in Ribbius Peletier's collection soon acquired a certain reputation. The painter Floris Verster, who was also represented with several works, wrote to Ribbius Peletier on 24 July 1904: ‘The next time I'm in Utrecht I hope to call on you; I would so like to see that wonderful sea by Van Gogh that hung at Oldenzeel in Rotterdam again. It's the finest Van Gogh I know.’⁴¹ Others wanted to do more than just admire. In 1905 one J.W.A.R. Schuurbeque Baeye of The Hague enquired on behalf of friends abroad whether the collection of Van Gogh paintings was ‘on the market,’ but Ribbius Peletier did not wish to take up this offer.⁴² ‘Have only a few paintings by VvG, which I do not wish to sell. Referred to H.P. Bremmer,’ says his note on the matter.⁴³ In September 1910 the German dealer Marcel Goldschmidt of Frankfurt showed interest in the - now much more highly priced - works by Van Gogh, but again Ribbius Peletier did not react.⁴⁴ This interest was not surprising: the collector had allowed several of his paintings to be included in Vincent Van Gogh. 40 photocollographies d'après ses tableaux et dessins, published in 1904 or 1905, and had loaned them to exhibitions on several occasions. Two works from his collection

fig. 6
Elsie Spronck, The living room of the Ribbius Peletier family, Maliebaan 15, Utrecht, 1932, Linschoten, Verzameling Stichting Landgoed Linschoten. Two works by Van Gogh (nos. 2 and 7) can be seen in this painting, as well as works by Van Goyen, Roelofs, Zandleven, Zijl and others.

(nos. 3 and 8) were seen, for example, at the first large Van Gogh retrospective at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.⁴⁵

The collection was kept together until the late 1930s. Ribbius Peletier died in 1930, his wife, Adriana Louisa Wijbelingh (1863-1939), nine years later. The collection was then divided between the five children, each of whom was free to express a preference. A few works were sold, but none by Van Gogh.⁴⁶ Gerlach (1887-1969), the eldest and the

41 RP archive, postcard from F. Verster to G. Ribbius Peletier, no. 811: ‘Wanneer ik eens te Utrecht kom, hoop ik eens bij U aan te komen; ik zou n.l. nog zoo gaarne die prachtige zee van v. Gogh eens terugzien die in Rotterdam bij Oldenzeel gehangen heeft. 't Is voor mij de mooiste v.G. die ik ken.’

42 RP archive, letter dated 16 February 1905, no. 812.

43 Ibid., note in Ribbius Peletier's handwriting on the original letter: ‘Bezit slecht enkele schilderijen van VvG. die ik niet wensch te verkoopen. Verwezen naar H.P. Bremmer.’

44 RP archive, letter from M. Goldschmidt & Co., Frankfurt, 30 September 1910, no. 811.

45 In November 1904, no. 2 was on view at an exhibition at the Kunstzalen Oldenzeel. No less than four works (nos. 3, 6, 8 and 9) were shown in 1913 at an exhibition organised by Bremmer and held at the Kröller-Müller family's house at Lange Voorhout 1 in The Hague. Ribbius Peletier's largest exhibition loan - seven works - was to a show his daughter Elisabeth helped to organise; see note 49. The illustrated album that appeared in 1905 included five of the eight works Ribbius Peletier then owned: nos. 4-8.

46 In 1940 and 1944 a total of 25 works, among them pieces by Altorf, Zandleven, Roelofs, Verster and Van Daalhoff, were sold through various auctioneers.

[p. 34]

only son, took nothing for himself, generously leaving his sisters ample choice.⁴⁷ Davina (1889-1967) declared Huts; reminiscence of the north (no. 10) her ‘sentimental choice.’ The ‘preferred choice’ of Elisabeth (1891-1989) was the Scheveningen seascape (no. 3), while Adriana (1894-1961) chose Woodgatherers in the snow (no. 8). Louise (1903-1973) expressed a special liking for a small sculpture by Mendes da Costa and for Van Gogh's Head of a woman (no. 2).

These wishes were taken into account when the works were allocated; after all, there were no conflicting interests. In addition to the Huts from Saint-Rémy, Davina received Shepherd with flock beneath a stormy sky (no. 6).⁴⁸ Gerlach inherited the Woman digging (no. 1), which had hung in his father's study. Elisabeth, who in 1926 had worked on an exhibition about Van Gogh at the Stedelijk Museum, organised by the socialist Arbeiders Jeugd Centrale, received the most works.⁴⁹ As well as her preferred choice, Seascape at Scheveningen (no. 3), she inherited View of the Alpilles (no. 9) and the Gennep watermill (no. 7). Adriana recieved the Evening twilight in autumn as well as the Wood-gatherers (nos. 4 and 8), while Louise was given Mending the nets and the Head of a woman (nos. 5 and 2).

Ribbius Peletier's collection was thus dispersed. However, of his ten Van Gogh paintings, four have ended up in Dutch museums. In 1963 the heirs of Adriana Ubbens-Ribbius Peletier gave Evening twilight in autumn to the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, and in the 1970s Elisabeth Ribbius Peletier decided to bequeath the works she owned to the state.⁵⁰ A grand dame of the women's movement and an ardent social-democrat, she had in mind that they should be shown at the recently founded but not yet open Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and thus allowed V.W. van Gogh, nephew of the artist and chairman of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, to make his choice.⁵¹ He initially chose ‘the seascape, because we have no painting from that early period,’⁵² but quickly realised that the Foundation's collection did include a study for the view of the Alpilles, and so he informed Mrs Ribbius Peletier: ‘If you were to ask me now which of your three paintings I would like to see later in our museum, I would change what I told you on Saturday. I now think the painting from Saint-Rémy more important for our collection than the “Seascape” because it would hang together with the drawing on one panel. [...] What I said about the “Seascape” of course remains the case, namely that it forms a link that is missing from the collection.’⁵³ When Elisabeth Ribbius Peletier died in 1989, at the age of 98, both works proved to have been left to the Van Gogh Museum, while the Watermill was bequeathed to the Rijksdienst Beeldende Kunst.⁵⁴

47 RP archive, list of division, drawn up after the death of Mrs A.L. Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh in 1939, no. 1015. This list indicates each of the siblings' preferences.

48 Ibid.

49 Elisabeth Ribbius Peletier's involvement in the organisation of Vincent van Gogh: tentoonstelling ter gelegenheid van het internationale jeugdfeest der S.J.I. at the Stedelijk Museum, is proven by a letter from her to H.P. Bremmer of 28 March 1926; The Hague, Gemeente Archief, Bremmer archive. Gerlach Ribbius Peletier loaned nos. 2-8 to the exhibition.

50 This appears from a letter from V.W. van Gogh to E. Ribbius Peletier, dated 17 April 1972; see Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Vincent van Gogh Foundation.

51 Ibid.

52 Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum archives, excerpt from the diary of V.W. van Gogh, 16 April 1972: ‘[...] het Zeegezicht omdat we uit die vroege tijd geen schilderij hebben.’

53 Op. cit. (note 50): ‘Als U mij thans de vraag stelt welk van Uw drie schilderijen ik later gaarne in ons museum zou willen zien, dan wijzig ik hetgeen ik U zaterdag vertelde. Dan vind ik het schilderijtje uit St.-Rémy voor onze verzameling belangrijker dan het “Zeegezicht” omdat het met de tekening zou komen te hangen op één paneel. [...] Wat ik U voorlegde over het “Zeegezicht” blijft natuurlijk bestaan, nl. dat dit een schakel vormt dien niet in de collectie vertegenwoordigd is.’

54 Since May 1990 this painting has been on long-term loan to the Noordbrabants Museum in Den Bosch.

[p. 35]

Catalogue

The following abbreviations are used for the values:

1905	Insurance values for exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
1907	Valuation list by H.P. Bremmer, 2 Januray 1907
1918	List of paintings with insurance values, 1 February 1918
1919	Undated list of modern paintings. Since all the Van Gogh paintings are included, the list must date from after 1919.
1936	Insurance values for exhibition at Kunsthandel Huinck & Scherjon, Amsterdam, mentioned in a leter from G. Ribbius Peletier Jr to Huinck & Scherjon, 12 August 1936 (Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Huinck & Scherjon archive).
1940	Valuation list of modern paintings, compiled by d'Audretsch for the division of the estate.

1 Woman digging

Nuenen, July-August 1885
Oil on canvas on panel, 41.5 × 32 cm
F 95 JH 827

1902 H.P. Bremmer, The Hague

1902-30 G. Ribbius Peletier, Utrecht, bought from Bremmer in December for f 200

1930-39 A.L. Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh, Utrecht

1939-69 G. Ribbius Peletier, Utrecht

1969-75 heirs of G. Ribbius Peletier

1975 Mak van Waay (Amsterdam), 15 April, lot 43, for f 64,000

1980 Sotheby's (London), 1 July, lot 40, for £55,000

1980 in December with a dealer, Heidelberg

c. 1980-81 private collection, Germany

1981 Sotheby's (London), 2 December, lot 27 (withdrawn)

1990 Maui Gallery, Hawaii; present location unknown

Values:

1902 f 200; 1907 f 350; 1918 f 2500; 1919 f 1800; 1940 f 1800

[p. 36]

2 Head of a woman

Nuenen, December 1884-May 1885
Oil on canvas on panel, 40.5 × 30.5 cm
F 144 JH 561

1885-86 A.C. van Gogh-Carbentus, Nuenen/Breda

1886-1902 Schrauwen, Breda

1902 J.C. Couvreur, Breda

1902-03 W. van Bakel and C. Mouwen, Breda

1903 Oldenzeel gallery, Rotterdam, exhibition in January/February, no. 4

1903-30 G. Ribbius Peletier, Utrecht, bought from Oldenzeel in February for f 500

1930-39 A.L. Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh, Utrecht

1939-c. 1959 L.J. Schokking-Ribbius Peletier, Doorn

c. 1959 E.J. Van Wisselingh & Co., Amsterdam

before 1960-62 private collection, Canada; present location unknown

Values:

1905 f 500; 1907 f 500; 1918 f 1500; 1919 f 1500; 1940 f 1500

3 Seascape at Scheveningen

The Hague, August 1882
Oil on canvas, 34.5 × 51 cm
F 4 JH 187

1885-86 A.C. van Gogh-Carbentus, Nuenen/Breda

1886-1902 Schrauwen, Breda

1902 J.C. Couvreur, Breda

1902-03 W. van Bakel and C. Mouwen, Breda

1903 Oldenzeel gallery, Rotterdam, exhibition in January-February, no. 18

1903-30 G. Ribbius Peletier, Utrecht, bought from Oldenzeel for f 2500 in February

1930-39 A.L. Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh, Utrecht

1939-89 A.E. Ribbius Peletier, Amsterdam/Scheveningen

(1949-90 on loan to the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam)

1990 bequeathed to the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Values:

1903 f 2500; 1905 f 4000; 1907 f 3000; 1918 f 4000; 1919 f 3000; 1940 f 3000

[p. 37]

4 Evening twilight in autumn

Nuenen, October-November 1885
Oil on canvas, 51 × 93 cm
F 121 JH 956

1885-86 A.C. van Gogh-Carbentus, Nuenen/Breda

1886-1902 Schrauwen, Breda

1902 J.C. Couvreur, Breda

1902-03 W. van Bakel and C. Mouwen, Breda

1903 Oldenzeel gallery, Rotterdam, exhibition in November, no. 33?

1904 Fred. Muller (Amsterdam), 3 May, lot 14 (asking price f 575, withdrawn)

1904-30 G. Ribbius Peletier, Utrecht, bought from Oldenzeel in July together with nos. 5-8 for f 3500

1930-39 A.L. Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh, Utrecht

1939-61 A.L. Ubbens-Ribbius Peletier, Groningen

1961-63 heirs of A.L. Ubbens-Ribbius Peletier

1963 donated to the Centraal Museum, Utrecht

Values:

1904 f 700; 1907 f 1000; 1918 f 5000; 1919 f 5000; 1940 f 5000

5 Mending the nets

The Hague, August 1882
Oil on paper on panel, 42 ×62.5 cm
F7 JH 178

1882-85 V. van Gogh, The Hague/Nuenen

1885-86 A.C. van Gogh-Carbentus, Nuenen/Breda

1886-1902 Schrauwen, Breda

1902 J.C. Couvreur, Breda

1902-03 W. van Bakel and C. Mouwen, Breda

1903-04 Oldenzeel, Rotterdam

1904-30 G. Ribbius Peletier, Utrecht, bought from Oldenzeel in July together with nos. 4 and 6-8 for f 3500

1930-39 A.L. Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh, Utrecht

1939-73 L.J. Schokking-Ribbius Peletier, Doorn/Cologne-Mariënburg (1961-74 on loan to the Gemeente Museum, The Hague)

1973-75 heirs L.J. Schokking-Ribbius Peletier

1975 Mak van Waay (Amsterdam), 15 April, lot 42, (unsold)

1975-96 H.J. Reinink, Toronto, held by ‘Ribbius Peletier (Canada) Ltd’; private collection

Values:

1904 f 700; 1907 f 900; 1918 f 3500; 1919 f 2500; 1936 f 4000; 1940 f 2500

[p. 38]

6 Shepherd with flock beneath a stormy sky

Nuenen, August 1884
Oil on canvas, 67 × 125 cm
F 42 JH 517

1885-86 A.C. van Gogh-Carbentus, Nuenen/Breda

1886-1902 Schrauwen, Breda

1902 J.C. Couvreur, Breda

1902-03 W. van Bakel and C. Mouwen, Breda

1903-04 Oldenzeel gallery, Rotterdam, exhibition in November 1903, no. 45

1904 Fred. Muller (Amsterdam), 3 May, lot 4 (asking price f 800, withdrawn)

1904-30 G. Ribbius Peletier, Utrecht, bought from Oldenzeel in July together with nos. 4, 5, 7 and 8 for f 3500

1930-39 A.L. Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh, Utrecht

1939-56 D.A.J.A. van Wely-Ribbius Peletier, The Hague

1956 E.J. van Wisselingh & Co., Amsterdam

before 1962 Sam Salz, New York (1962 on loan to the Metropolitan Museum, New York)

before September 1962 Martin J. and Sidney A. Zimet;

1963 Sotheby's (London), 23 October, lot 5

1963?-68? E. Speelman, London

1968 Sotheby's (London), 24 April, lot 77

1997 Sotheby's (London), 24 June, lot 10; present location unknown

Values:

1904 f 700; 1907 f 1400; 1918 f 5000; 1919 f 4000; 1940 f 4000

7 Gennep watermill

Nuenen, November 1884
Oil on canvas, 60 × 78.5 cm
F 46 JH 524

1885-86 A.C. van Gogh-Carbentus, Nuenen/Breda

1886-1902 Schrauwen, Breda

1902 J.C. Couvreur, Breda

1902-03 W. van Bakel and C. Mouwen, Breda

1903 Oldenzeel gallery, Rotterdam, exhibition in November, no. 43

1904-30 G. Ribbius Peletier, Utrecht, bought from Oldenzeel in July together with nos. 4-6 and 8 for f 3500

1930-39 A.L. Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh, Utrecht

1939-89 A.E. Ribbius-Peletier, Amsterdam/Scheveningen (from 1949 to 1990 on loan to the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam)

1990 bequeathed to the Rijksdienst Beeldende Kunst, on long-term loan to the Noord Brabants Museum, Den Bosch

Values:

1904 f 700; 1907 f 800; 1918 f 3000; 1919 f 2000; 1940 f 2000

[p. 39]

8 Woodgatherers in the snow

Nuenen, September 1884
Oil on canvas on panel, 67 × 126 cm
F 43 JH 516

1885-86 A.C. van Gogh-Carbentus, Nuenen/Breda

1886-1902 Schrauwen, Breda

1902 J.C. Couvreur, Breda

1902-03 W. van Bakel and C. Mouwen, Breda

1903-04 Oldenzeel gallery, Rotterdam

1904 Fred. Muller (Amsterdam), 3 May, lot 7 (asking price f 400, withdrawn)

1904-30 G. Ribbius Peletier, Utrecht, bought from Oldenzeel in July together with nos. 4-7 for f 3500

1930-39 A.L. Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh, Utrecht

1939-61 A.L. Ubbens-Ribbius Peletier, Haren

1961-73 L.J. Schokking-Ribbius Peletier, Doorn

1973-c. 88 H.J. Reinink, Toronto, held by ‘Ribbius Peletier (Canada) Ltd’

c. 1990 Gallery Marimura, Tokyo

1991-97 private collection; present location unknown

Values:

1904 f 700; 1905 f 4000; 1907 f 1000; 1918 f 7000; 1919 f 5000; 1940 f 5000

[p. 40]

9 View of the Alpilles

Saint-Rémy, June 1889
Oil on canvas, 37.5 ×30.5 cm
F 723 JH 1722

1890 T. van Gogh?

1890-? J. van Gogh-Bonger?

before 1918 C.M. van Gogh, Amsterdam

1918-30 G. Ribbius Peletier, Utrecht, bought in June for f 1800

1930-39 A.L. Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh, Utrecht

1939-89 A.E. Ribbius Peletier, Amsterdam/Scheveningen

1990 bequeathed to the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Values:

1911 f 1800; 1918 f 4000; 1919 f 8000; 1940 f 8000

[p. 41]

10 Huts; reminiscence of the north

Saint-Rémy, March-April 1890
Oil on canvas, 45.5 × 43 cm
F 673 JH 1919

1890 T. van Gogh

1890-1904 Mrs Chevalier, Auvers-sur-Oise

?-? L. Molina, Paris

?-? Hugo von Tschudi, Munich

before 1914 Carl and Thea Sternheim, La Hulpe-lez-Bruxelles

1919-30 G. Ribbius Peletier, Utrecht, bought from Fred. Muller (Amsterdam), 11 February, lot 11 for f 8690

1930-39 A.L. Ribbius Peletier-Wijbelingh, Utrecht

1939-55 D.A.J.A. van Wely-Ribbius Peletier, The Hague

1955 Van Wisselingh & Co., Amsterdam

1956 Knoedler, New York

1956 private collection, Switzerland

Values:

1919 f 8690; 1919 f 15000; 1936 f 16000; 1940 f 15000