RKD STUDIES

Gero Seelig

The dispersion of Netherlandish paintings throughout Germany should not only be followed through the history of individual works of art but also by looking at the reasons and circumstances under which collections were formed.¹ Otherwise the importance of the art works in a setting that was usually not foreseen or intended during their production would remain a mystery. In the case of the Schwerin collections two factors are beneficial for the understanding of art trading and collecting during the first half of the 18th century. First of all, the documentary situation is outstanding, since for very many of the art works the acquisition for Schwerin in this period is documented, sometimes with considerable detail. Secondly, the collection, even to this day, shows the specific taste for Netherlandish art. In short, it highlights the 18th-century canon of Netherlandish painting which is so different from the canon of later times.

After a sketch of the political situation in which Duke Christian Ludwig of Mecklenburg (1683-1756) operated, this paper presents an overview of his strategies in acquiring art and shows how these strategies have helped to shape the Schwerin collections. Finally, it briefly outlines the fact that the Schwerin collection encapsulates the 18th-century concept of Dutch and Flemish painting. This view will turn out to be more different from the one in Gerson’s time than from our own.

Cover image
Michaël Dahl (I)
Portrait of Christian Ludwig II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1683-1756), dated 1704
Schwerin, Staatliches Museum Schwerin, inv./cat.nr. G 1062