De zaak Van der Veken

In 2005, KIK-IRPA collected one of the finest paintings by Belgian painter-restorer Joseph Van der Veken (1872-1964) and organised an exhibition to mark the occasion at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (27 January to 20 February 2005). This Sainte Marie Madeleine is an almost literal copy of the right-hand side of Rogier Van der Weyden's famous Braque Triptych in the Louvre. The work, which has remained untraceable since the end of the Second World War, was part of the property acquired by the Nazis and claimed by the Belgian state.

As a precursor to the monographic study, Autour de la Madeleine Renders, published on 15 September 2008, this brochure invites us to discover, in just a few pages, the painting and its fabulous destiny.