First it was a 15th-century English castle, then it was a world-class performing arts centre. Now Alfred (Sc鈥45, Arts 鈥46, MSc鈥47, LLD鈥86) and Isabel Bader (LLD鈥07) continue their legacy of landmark donations to Queen鈥檚 with the gift of a storied work by one of the world鈥檚 most celebrated painters.
Thanks to another generous gift from the Baders, the is poised to welcome Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo, a 42 x 34-inch oil-on-canvas painting by Rembrandt.
Painted in 1658, this late career portrait has spent most of its existence in private collections. Previous owners include Columbia University, the heirs to the A&P and Johnson & Johnson empires, and more recently, casino mogul Steve Wynn.
An avid collector of Baroque-era Dutch and Flemish art, Alfred Bader has had his eye on Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo for several years. He believes Queen鈥檚 is an ideal home for the painting. 鈥淚t is the best Rembrandt in Canada and Queen鈥檚 is the best university in Canada,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t is very fitting.鈥
After graduating from Queen鈥檚 in 1947, he completed a Ph.D. at Harvard. In 1951 Dr. Bader founded the Aldrich Chemical Company, now Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, a company that makes specialty chemicals used in universities and laboratories around the world.
His generosity to Queen鈥檚 spans seven decades. Last year, the Baders donated 68 Baroque paintings to the Agnes, solidifying the gallery鈥檚 reputation as one of the premier university art galleries in North America for the study of European Art. 鈥淭he rest of the collection is built around Rembrandt -- the people who taught him, the people he taught, his collaborators, and his competitors,鈥 says Agnes Director Jan Allen. 鈥淭his painting will be the pinnacle of the collection.鈥
The Bader Collection also includes two smaller character studies by Rembrandt. With the acquisition of Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo, Queen鈥檚 becomes the only institution in Canada to house three Rembrandt originals.
Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo will be available for viewing at the Agnes in the spring.
