Rocznik Muzeum Narodowego w Warszawie (1(37).2012/2013)

Gerdien Verschoor

I The Friendship between CODART and the
National Museum in Warsaw
When I succeeded Rembrandt specialist Gary Schwartz in 2005 as the director of CODART,
the CODART members working in the National Museum in Warsaw (NMW) were the first
to send their congratulations. CODART and the NMW had just finished a year of very in-
tense cooperation. In March, 2004, CODART had organized its annual congress with the
subject “Dutch and Flemish art in Poland,” with guest speakers from the NMW. The con-
gress was followed later that spring by a study trip do Gdańsk, Warsaw and Krakow, where
CODART, in close cooperation with its Polish partners, could offer a rich programme of vis-
its to collections of Dutch and Flemish masters.
About CODART
CODART is the international network of curators of Dutch and Flemish art. The tremendous
popularity and the fact that the works of art are widely disseminated means that CODARTs
network is extensive and unique. Major holdings of Dutch and Flemish art are located in
approximately fifty countries, and Poland holds an important position. Most of these col-
lections - assembled by royals and individuals passionate about Dutch and Flemish art - are
currently held in public museums. CODART aims to make this widespread cultural heritage
more visible and accessible to an international public. At the same time, the organization
aims to increase public knowledge of Dutch and Flemish art, thereby lending a historical
phenomenon a contemporary dimension.
At present, CODART connects over 600 curators from more than three hundred muse-
ums in almost fifty countries. Members work not only for prestigious institutions such as the
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the Louvre in Paris or the National Museum in Warsaw, but also
for smaller significant collections, such as the Bogdan and Varvara Khanenko Museum of Art
in Kyiv, the Sinebrychoff Art Museum in Helsinki or Kasteel Duivenvoorde in Voorschoten,
The Netherlands. Curators from these institutions, and from many other museums, are active
in the various CODART activities.
CODART cooperates closely with the RKD (Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische
Documentatie - Netherlands Institute for Art History) in The Hague, a research institution
that is of pivotal importance in the international network of scholars of Dutch and Flemish art.
CODART receives a subsidy form the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science,
and is supported by a growing circle of Patrons, such as collectors, art dealers and museums.
Activities
To stimulate the exchange of information and cooperation in the areas of exhibition and
research, CODART offers various platforms. Its website (www.codart.nl) is the main port