23 october 2023, Manuela Klerkx
The Choice of... Henny and Jan Willem Ten Broeke
Henny and Jan Willem are art collectors who enjoy life to the fullest. After years of sailing and spending time on their boat in the marina next to the MAS in Antwerp, they have become more settled, enjoying their home, garden, and art in Loenen aan de Vecht. Their house is filled with art books and music is always playing, but that's another story. Everywhere you look, there is art. And all the art is connected to a friendship, a story, or a memory, down to the corks they collected for artist Jan Henderikse.
Did you grow up with art in your home?
No, neither of us did. But Henny's brother-in-law comes from a family that appreciated art and through him, our curiosity was aroused. It was through him that we became familiar with the work of sculptor Mari Andriessen (1897-1997), who was part of ‘De Groep’ (of figurative abstraction), a group of artists who sought to combine sculpture and architecture.
Marinke van Zandwijk, R-bel rose, 2023, Galerie Franzis Engels
How did you start collecting?
Initially, we bought from 'Prent 190', which was established in the 1960s by Louis Gans (1930-2012), an art historian and former curator of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and consisted of a group of collectors of contemporary graphics. For a fixed annual fee, you could become a member and get ten sheets of graphics each year. A total of 190 copies of each print were made – hence the name – with the goal of making art accessible to a broader audience. Members didn't know in advance what they would receive, although it was known which artists were involved, such as Peter Alma, Dick Cassée, Corneille, Jef Diederen, Martin Engelman, Friso ten Holt, Willem Hussem, Jacqueline de Jong, Lucebert, Han Mes, Sam Middleton, Roger Raveel, Bram van Velde, Carel Visser, Co Westerik, and Jakob Zekveld. Later on, we took a different path and donated our entire graphics collection to an auction house for charity.
Feipel & Bechameil, Shelter #38, 2022, Galerie Fontana
Do you both need to like a work of art before buying it?
We don't always immediately like the same things. Sometimes, one of us has to convince the other. For example, Henny really loves the work of Martine Feipel and Jean Beschameil, which naturally influences me. Whereas I influence Henny with my love of architecture. Over time, we have collected works by Sjoerd Buisman, Armando, Bernard Aubertin, Jeroen Henneman, Marijke de Goey, Marinke van Zandwijk, Stefan Pietryga, and Bert Frijns, to name a few.
Bert Frijns, 2 Heldere Vazen, 2022, MPV Gallery
I see a lot of abstract art by established artists and emerging talents in your home. But I also see figurative paintings and sculptures, kinetic art, and glass objects. Would you describe your collection as eclectic?
We believe an eclectic collection is not the result of a choice but of changing tastes. You can clearly see this development in our collection over the years. The knowledge you gain and the connections you make ultimately influence your taste. But some choices are made out of necessity, such as due to lack of space. We have lived happily in this house for over 51 years, but there's not that much space.
Carel Visser, zonder titel, 2000, galerie dudokdegroot
Do you take a long time to decide on a purchase?
No, we buy very impulsively. In other words, not based on a predetermined plan or theory, but simply because we fall in love with a particular work. Take, for example, our collection of small sculptures by artists like André Volten, Carel Visser, Jeroen Henneman, Tajiri, and Theo Niermeijer. This collection clearly stems from Henny's love of small, minimalist objects that form a beautiful ensemble on our windowsill. They are essentially monumental works in miniature.
Jehoshua Rozenman, Untiteld, 2023, Galerie Fontana
How has your taste and perspective on art evolved over time?
Our preference is for abstract art, but we often end up buying figurative work. Perhaps that's the difference between your head and your heart. And yes... the heart usually wins. Regarding your question about how our taste has developed, we have to go back to 1985 when the Kröller-Müller Museum released a catalogue to celebrate André Volten's 60th birthday. We literally drove around the Netherlands with this catalogue in hand to view his work everywhere. It listed his address, which was in Amsterdam Noord. Through a mutual friend, we got in touch with André and his wife Sophie. And from that contact, a long-lasting friendship developed.
Is that why you have work by André Volten?
Exactly. Around 1986, we used a small inheritance to offer him 18,000 guilders (about €9,000) to create a sculpture for us. He ultimately created that beautiful brass sculpture that now stands in the garden. André and Sophie would visit us each year to celebrate the sculpture's birthday and help polish the milled surface. The sculpture wasn’t given a title, but André referred to it as De Zuil (The Column). Our collection of glass objects has a different history. We were familiar with the work of Bert Frijns from the Museum van der Togt, in which we were involved from the beginning. For Henny's 50th birthday, we bought our first glass object from Bert's studio.
Pieter Obels, Movin'up, 2023, Galerie Roger Katwijk
Which gallery owners have become your friends and who did you buy your first works by emerging talent from?
Since 2009-2010, we have purchased art from Roger Katwijk (Pieter Obels), Galerie Fontana (Anneke Eussen), Katelijn Ramakers (Warfemius, Sjoerd Buisman), and Helga Hofman. We bought a work of art by Alexandra Phillips at the PAN fair last year from Coppejans Gallery, where we met Zero expert and writer Antoon Melissen, which sparked our interest in Zero. We already had work by Armando and Jan Henderikse. By the way, we met artist Alexandra Phillips at a party hosted by Jan Henderikse, and later, purchased a piece from her at Stijn Coppejans' booth at the PAN. All these contacts work like a domino effect... one thing leads to another.
Jan Henderikse, Untitled, 2017, BorzoGallery
Do you negotiate with gallery owners over the price?
We always negotiate because who sets the price of an artwork? The gallery owner? The artist? If we can't discuss the price, we look elsewhere. Of course, we don't push it to the limit; after all, both the artist and gallery owner should make a profit. But the price has to feel right for us.
What's exciting about buying work from young, relatively unknown artists?
The fact that they're alive and that you can share ideas with them, get to know them, and even commission work from them. We have done that in the past.
Do you travel extensively for art?
We used to travel more than we do now. Besides looking at art, we also appreciate architecture. Recently, we were in Milan, where we searched for the city's most interesting architectural buildings.
Alexandra Phillips, Bargain Hunter, 2012, COPPEJANS GALLERY
If you didn't have to consider prices and space, which artists would you like to acquire work from?
From Anish Kapoor, Jan Andriessen, Saskia Noor van Imhoff, and we would love to have an outdoor sculpture by Armando.
Do you have any tips for novice collectors?
Look, look, look. That also applies to your ears in relation to music. You need to train your eyes and ears to see and hear.
André Volten, The Column, 1986
