Disappeared painting, too disgusting to hang, is now being opened to the public

From left to right you see Pope Paul VI, Cardinal Francis Spelman, politician Alfons Vranckx, professor Maria Wens and President Richard Nixon slaughter and abuse children. The work was painted in 1972, just after the announcement of the abuses in the children’s home free and cheerful and during the Vietnam War. At the time it made a great impression and fuss during the vernissage.

An unknown bought the work in 1974, the gallery owner of that time has since died. Nobody knew where the painting is for fifty years. In 2014, Walter Ertvelt, archive manager and good friend of the artist, launched a first call. He was putting together an exhibition and The Children’s Friends was the only work he could not locate. However, it remained silent.

Then the documents give God In 2023 the search a new driving force. In collaboration with Wim Lammertijn, curator of Museum Mudel in Deinze, Ertvelt is organizing an exhibition about De Bruyne and makes a new call. Magazine Knack The message continues and Rik Devillé also argues in an interview to bring the painting to the outside world.

In the attic

Eventually an email arrives at the museum. A woman writes that she has saved the painting for years in her attic. « It is also difficult to be proud of something like that, you don’t just hang it above your dresser, » says Ertvelt. She no longer wanted to have the disgusting scene in the house and had decided to pass it on to a confidential adviser. Both wish to remain anonymous, but the new owner agreed to the Mudel museum with a loan of an indefinite period of time. The work has remained in good condition all the time.

« It is indeed not a grateful subject for your wall, » says the Antwerp auctioneer Peter Bernaerts. “At the same time it takes a lot of courage to paint something like that. This is actually how art should be. He sets a mirror to society and takes it for victims of abuse in the church. The time that child abuse was whitewashed and the Institute could hold the perpetrators a hand above is now over.

The mystery already gave the work a lot of attention, but according to Bernaerts that does not translate into a higher appreciation. « It is a non-commercial theme and is still a local artist. No matter how remarkable the disappearance was, there is no question of a search for an icon such as the righteous judges. But given the socially critical function, it is good that it is exhibited in a public institution, where many people can view it. »

Ertvelt places De Bruyne at the last generation of Flemish Bohemian artists. « He did not belong in the ideas of curators such as Jan Hoet. That is one of the reasons why his art remained so underexposed. It also had to do with his attitude. He was provocative and not exactly friendly to people with power, » said Ertvelt.