Zoetmulder challenged

In 1998 there was a Christmas exhibition at Gallery De Vleugel in Slot Zeist, in which I participated, which connected to an icon exhibition by Ingrid Zoetmulder. The Utrechts Nieuwsblad sent Thea Figee, to review both exhibitions in one swoop. Ingrid Zoetmulder was later, in 2009, criticized in the icon bulletin Eikonikon by Wim van Loon for statements in a Teleac broadcast such as: “For the believer, an icon is real when it is consecrated. But for me, of course, then it is not a real icon. For me, an icon is a real icon if it comes from the time it shows, and if it is made for religious use. Huh so an icon made on an old board in the twentieth century, very beautiful, that is a forgery actually.” In short, for her, then, all icons made after 1917 are fakes.

Now art historian Dr. Eddy van den Brink lives in Leersum, went to look in Zeist and read the article. And he wrote to the newspaper, and I publish this with his permission:

Utrechts Nieuwsblad,

Attn: Mrs. Figee

Madam Editor,

If at a car show with the pre-1998 models an oldtimer enthusiast shouts, that no real cars are made after 1950, or if an antique enthusiast claims that you can't sit on a post-1900 chair at all, nonsense is said.

You have taken that kind of nonsense from Mrs. Zoetmulder's mouth, not recognized it as nonsense, and made it your article on the icon exhibition in Zeist in the January 28 newspaper. I don't think, that an editor should be knowledgeable about everything he writes about; after all, then every editor would soon be written out or bore his/her readers. I thought an editor's skill was in knowing how to quickly find spokespeople or other sources to get informed enough to write something sensible. With Mrs. Zoetmulder you have misjudged, and you could have noticed that, because in your article you do not have a expert, but a shopkeeper speaking, touting her wares, Russian old icons.

That no real icons could be painted after 1917 is simply nonsense, because icons will always be painted as long as and wherever there are orthodox believers. For an orthodox, an icon is not a work of art, but a necessary religious utensil; if he wants to invoke St. Nicholas, that requires an icon of St. Nicholas, and if he does not have that and can afford it, he must have that icon made. The icon painter who takes on that job has no artistic freedom, because a St. Nicholas icon is only good if it depicts the real St. Nicholas, i.e. a previous St. Nicholas icon. And that in turn means that an icon painter stands in a tradition, innate or learned. All Nicholases, Byzantine, Cretan, Russian or Romanian are similar, because it is always about the same Nicholas. But a connoisseur can tell immediately, whether a Byzantine or a Russian painted here.

When icons become fashionable with us in the West, something completely different happens: then they are no longer religious utensils, but we start to find them “beautiful,” call them “works of art,” and some people fall for the patina of really old. There is nothing wrong with that and Ms. Zoetmulder owes her trade to that.

The quality of an icon has nothing to do with old or new, because every new icon has to imitate an old one. All of Mrs. Zoetmulder's old icons were once just as new, just as shiny as what now hangs in Zeist. That they would be animated by their age, that is, by cracks, dust and candle wax of centuries is sentimental prattle, not even proper advertising for her store. It is the taste (and purchasing power, since antiques do cost much more than new) of any buyers in Zeist who will decide for themselves whether they prefer an old or a new icon. To disqualify new as a false imitation is ignorance or bread envy.

Finally. I don't know the gallery in Zeist, I don't know the icon painters hanging there, and I don't know Ms. Zoetmulder. I am an ordinary art historian who happens to know about icons by virtue of his specialization. And who gets annoyed when stupid slander in your newspaper is passed off as statements by a connoisseur. And who thinks that you should do something about it in your newspaper. If you think you need me to do this, please let me know; I am not waiting for this.

With kind regards,

Eddy van den Brink