HB 16 Duccio

One of the most special paintings in the Huis Bergh collection is this Angel by the influential Sienese artist Duccio di Buoninsegna. Van Heek bought the panel at an auction in 1924. The Angel was once part of a huge altar piece called the Maestà. The ninth of June 1311 was officially declared a holiday in Siena. All shops were closed and the inhabitants gathered at Duccio’s workshop. From there they accompanied the recently completed Maestà in a solemn procession to the high altar of the cathedral. In 1506, though, the Maestà was demoted to a mere side-altar and finally, in the 18th century, it was sawn into pieces. Sadly, through this, any knowledge concerning the original set up and construction of the altar piece got lost. Reconstructions of the altar piece have shown that our Angel was in good company: originally, there were no less than 12 angels in the Maestà. Unfortunately, only three of these have survived, two of which are now in the United States. So it is quite special that Duccio’s third angel, the best kept one even, is part of the Huis Bergh collection.

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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.