Ger Luijten and Twelve Years of Acquisitions A Passionate Eye Opening hours: every day except Monday, from 12 to 6 pm. Ger Luijten was director of the Fondation Custodia for twelve years, from June 2010 until his premature death in December 2022. During this period, Ger Luijten pursued a bold, dynamic acquisitions policy, putting his well-trained eye and his experience at the service of the Fondation Custodia.
Among the circa ten thousand items that have entered the collection since 2010, some have already been displayed to the public at various exhibitions and some are shown here for the first time. The visitor is invited to discover this remarkable display via a trajectory organised by technique (drawings, prints, paintings, oil sketches, letters and manuscripts, contemporary artists). The variety of the schools on show is testimony to the diversity of the collection. Although the Dutch and Flemish schools are lavishly represented, Danish drawings rub shoulders with British prints, a German drawing with a Spanish sketch. Famous names hang close to less well-known artists as well as to artists whose identity remains to be established. All the works share a common radiance, a poetic presence, a reflection of the personality and taste of Ger Luijten. Samuel van Hoogstraten (Dordrecht 1627 – 1687 Dordrecht), Self-Portrait at a Window, c. 1642-43 and 1650 Pen and brown ink, with brown wash, over traces of black chalk; corrections in pen and brown ink probably by Rembrandt; later additions by the artist in black and red chalk and pen and brown ink. – 170 × 135 mmFondation Custodia, Collection Frits Lugt, Paris, inv. 2012-T.4 French or Italian artist, XVIIth century, Portrait of François Langlois, called Ciartres, c. 1630-35 Oil on canvas. – 91,5 × 68,5 cmFondation Custodia, Collection Frits Lugt, Paris, inv. 2010-S.61 John Constable (East Bergholt 1776 – 1837 London), View of Gardens at Hampstead, with an Elder Tree, c. 1821-22 Oil on cardboard. – 17,6 × 14 cmFondation Custodia, Collection Frits Lugt, Paris, inv. 2019-S.58
Online Catalogue The exhibition catalogue entries, preceded by an introduction by Peter Hecht, are written by collaborators and former collaborators of Ger Luijten as well as by art historian members of the Board of the Fondation Custodia. The complete catalogue (in French) can be accessed here. A visitor guide in English is avaible for download: PDF Visitor guide A Passionate Eye Download (722.6 KiB)
Practical Information Address Fondation Custodia / Collection Frits Lugt121, rue de Lille - 75007 ParisFranceTel: +33 (0)1 47 05 75 19coll.lugt@fondationcustodia.frwww.fondationcustodia.fr Access by public transport Metro: Assemblée Nationale (line 12) or Invalides (lines 8 and 13)RER C: Invalides or Musée d’OrsayBus: lines 63, 73, 83, 84, 94, Assemblée NationaleVélib’: station opposite (n° 7009) Opening hours Every day except Monday, from 12 to 6 pm The exhibition is exceptionally closed on May 1st Admission charges 10 € (full) / 7 € (reduced)The reduced rate is available to seniors (over 60), unemployed people, Amis du Louvre, groups of at least 10 people Free admission: students, press card, ICOM card, disabled person’s card, members of Vereniging Rembrandt No online reservations GUIDED TOURS Possibility to visit the exhibition A Passionate Eye. Ger Luijten and Twelve Years of Acquisitions with a conference guide on the following dates (in French): Tuesday 14 May 2024 at 12.30 pm, Saturday 8 June at 12.30 pm, Thursday 20 June at 12.30 pm, Wednesday 3 July at 12.30 pm.Admission: price of the exhibition ticketReservation required: visites@fondationcustodia.fr