Abraham de Verwer’s “View of HoornÓ is the work of a little-known Dutch artist, a painter Wheelock previously knew of primarily as a draughtsman.
“He is a footnote in terms of the art world,Ó Wheelock says. “But as a painting, this is exceptional. The emotional impact of this image was so striking.Ó
Indeed, when Wheelock spotted the 360-year-old painting among London art dealer Johnny Van Haeften’s offerings at the European Fine Art Fair in Masstricht just more than a year ago, it brought him to his knees.
Or it might have, if Wheelock hadn’t had to get down on all fours already just to see the painting. Van Haeften apparently didn’t think much of its sales potential: Wheelock found it hidden away in a poorly lit back room.
“It was down by your ankles,Ó Wheelock remembers.
A member of the fair’s vetting committee, Wheelock was surveying its offerings prior to the event’s opening the following morning.
“I was prowling around, and I saw this painting and said, ‘Oh my gosh, what is this?’ Ó he remembers. “You can see American luminous painting coming out of this … probably to the eyes of an American, it’s more appealing than for a British dealer.Ó
Of course, once Van Haeften saw how the painting impressed Wheelock, he gave the curator “only about five hoursÓ in which to close the deal. Wheelock says this was unusual.
“I think he figured out it was highly undervalued,Ó he says.
However, Wheelock doesn’t have the authority to make this kind of acquisition without approval by his superiors and the National Gallery’s board of trustees.
“I scrambled around trying to find somebody who might buy it and give it to the gallery at some later date,Ó he recalls.
A private collector came to Wheelock’s rescue, approaching Van Haeften and promising to fund the painting’s purchase if Wheelock couldn’t raise the money within a month. The Derald H. Ruttenberg Memorial Fund ultimately purchased it for the gallery. The painting was on display through May 2009.
– Chris Klimek
