Collection
A unique art collection
Medieval art of Huis Bergh
The collection grew into one of the most remarkable private art collections in the Netherlands.
His collection includes artworks that are impressive for the Netherlands: early Italian paintings, medieval manuscripts, and also important works of 16th-century German art.
A small selection from our collection
The art collection of Huis Bergh Castle is a typical example of a private collection of medieval art from the first half of the 20th century. Virtually all art disciplines are represented here. High-quality artworks alternate with simple folk art, giving the collection a multifaceted character.
The collection is very extensive and comprises approximately 15,000 objects. To give you an initial impression, you will find a selection of some exceptional pieces here.
Angel by Duccio di Buoninsegna. Siena, 1308-1311.
This is the finest Italian painting in the collection. The small panel was once part of a massive altarpiece—the Maestà—in Siena Cathedral. Over the centuries, many sections of the altarpiece have been dispersed across the globe. It is clear that the Duccio at Huis Bergh belonged to the series of angel figures positioned along the top of the altarpiece, though its exact location is unknown.
Tempera on canvas and wood. 30 x 18.3 cm. Inv. no. 10
Portrait of Count Hendrik van den Bergh (1573–1638) by Otto van Veen (1556–1629), c. 1620.
Count Hendrik, the youngest of the eight sons of Count Willem IV van den Bergh, initially served in the Spanish military and rose to become commander-in-chief of the Spanish army in the Netherlands. In 1632, he defected to Frederik Hendrik. On the portrait, Hendrik wears a costly suit of armor with gilded edges and a red sash, signifying his allegiance to Spain.
Huis Bergh purchased the portrait in 2009 from a private collector in California, with support from the Rembrandt Association, among others.
Oil on canvas. 210 x 131.9 cm. Inv. no. 2042
The Wedding at Cana by a follower of Hieronymus Bosch, c. 1550.
Wedding guests are seated at an L-shaped table; Christ is on the right, and the bride, wearing a bridal crown, is in the center. In the right foreground, a man pours wine from earthenware pitchers. It was during this wedding that Jesus turned water into wine. In the upper left, there is a small gallery with two musicians; below them, servants are carrying in a swan and a boar's head.
Oil on oak, 95 x 74 cm. Inv. no. 58
The Holy Kinship by Hans Döring (ca. 1490-after 1557), 1515.
Depicted here is the family of Anna, the mother of Mary. Anna was married three times, and the triptych features all three of her husbands, as well as her children, sons-in-law, and grandchildren—including, of course, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Döring was a great admirer of his contemporary Albrecht Dürer; seven figures are derived from Dürer’s prints. The Labours of Hercules are depicted in the gold-coloured corners of the triptych.
Panel, 165 x 207 cm. Inv. no. 48