– It would have been the icing on the cake if I had found it, says museum director Anne-Mette Villumsen to news. Ribe art museum on the west coast of Denmark is calling for an important part of their upcoming exhibition. During the summer, the museum searched and searched for the painting “Tobias’ homecoming”, and asked various Danish newspapers for help in finding the owner. Now, new clues have led the museum to turn its attention to Norway. HOMECOMING: The painting shows some of the last things that happen in Tobit’s book, namely that Tobias comes home and is warmly welcomed by his parents. Norwegian buyer The last time the work was seen in public was in 1996 at the Bruun Rasmussen auctions in Copenhagen. An unknown Norwegian then bought it for 40,000 Danish kroner. – The auction house cannot give us any other information than that this was a Norwegian buyer from Oslo, says Villumsen. Museum director Anne-Mette Villumsen wants help from Norwegians to find the painting. Photo: Ribe art museum / Thorkild Jensen According to Villumsen, the auction house on behalf of the museum contacted the buyer, but without success. – It is the last time I know that the painting was seen. Then the tracks disappear, says Villumsen. Since it also does not appear at the large Norwegian auction houses that the museum has contacted, she believes that the work is still in Oslo. – If not in Oslo, then in any case in Norway. THE CREATOR: Wilhelm Bendz died young, which meant that he never managed to produce much art and become properly known, says museum director Anne-Mette Villumsen. Made for an art competition The artist behind it is the Dane Wilhelm Bendz, who made the work for the most prestigious art competition in the country at the time, the Art Academy’s large gold medal. But he did not receive a medal for his twist on the Tobias motif from the Bible. Two of his friends won prizes, which is surprising – because the three pictures are so similar. Imitating someone else was forbidden, and that may be an explanation for why Bendz was punished. Artist Albert Küchler’s version of Tobias’ homecoming. Artist Ditlev Konrad Blunck’s version of Sami painting. Photo: Ribe art museum Prior to that, there is only one photograph of the “taper work” at the exhibition in Ribe. The exhibition is about the community among Danish artists in the period known as the Danish Golden Age. – People often talk about how the Danish artists were good friends and positive, but there was also a lot of competition and rivalry, says Villumsen. – Good time The exhibition runs from September to January, and will then be moved to another museum. Now Villumsen hopes that in one way or another they will be able to borrow the picture. She also promises that the name of the person concerned will not be published. – We can set up the exhibition without Bendz’s paintings, but it’s more interesting with the real thing.
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Ribe Art Museum is looking for Wilhelm Bendz’s painting “Tobias’ Homecoming” – news Culture and entertainment
