Art historians investigate Karin and Ernst van Leyden’s legacy

01 May, 2013

BRANDWIJK

In 2012-2013, AllAboutArt took over a large part of the estate of Ernst and Karin van Leyden from their son in France, Ragnar van Leyden.  

The ‘legacy’ consists of an enormous amount of correspondence between Ernst and Karin and third parties. It also includes an impressive number of black and white photographs by well-known and unknown photographers with images of their travels and studios on the one hand and their relations such as Willem de Kooning, Charly Chaplin, Dali, Diego Rivéra and many others on the other.  

It is clear that Karin made many sketches of all her later murals and important works. She obviously didn’t go overboard overnight. Unknown lithographs and preliminary studies by Ernst also surfaced.  

The legacy gives a fantastic insight into their lives from the 30s to the 60s.  

Given the extensive amount of material and the authenticity of the legacy, 2 art historians have currently been appointed and are working intensively to make an inventory and analysis of both artists. All this should result in a clear picture of the doings of Ernst and Karin in the ‘Mid 20th Century’.