HB 09 Carmelite

This is a portrait of a Carmelite, made by an unknown Brussels painter in about 1520. Carmelites are a Roman Catholic Mendicant order. This portrait is exemplary of the late 19th century passion for collecting. By then, the demand for early portraits had far exceeded supply. This brought about a whole flood of copies and falsifications and even led to some quite destructive practices. Big paintings were sawn into more sizeable pieces. In this way, art dealers were able to make a lot more money. Before Van Heek bought this Carmelite in 1933, the front panel had been removed from the back one. The front depicts St Anthony giving alms to the poor. It hangs in a museum in New Orleans. And even further back in time, the top had been sawn off the panel depicting our Carmelite. This explains why the figure in the background misses the upper half of his body.

For more information on Mendicant orders and donors of paintings, press A

A

Press play to start the audio from the beginning

For centuries, Huis Bergh Castle was the ancestral castle of the powerful Van den Burgh counts. The castle's building history dates back to the 12th century. Jan Herman van Heek, an industrialist from Enschede, purchased the castle in 1912. He amassed a collection of late medieval artworks that are on display in the castle even today. There is also the possibility to have your (wedding)party here or stay the night in one of the luxury suits in a former defense tower.