As Queen’s gets ready to commemorate what would have been the 101st birthday of Alfred Bader, BSc’45, BA’46, Msc’47, LLD’86, on April 28, we’re looking back with immense gratitude on his inspiring legacy. Bader Curator of European Art, Dr. Suzanne van de Meerendonk, explores the deeper ethos that defined Dr. Bader’s life and art collections – his commitment to generosity, justice, and compassion.
Benjamin Gerritsz Cuyp (1612-1652), Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath, c. 1640, oil on panel. Gift of Alfred and Isabel Bader, 2013 (56-003.09). Photo: Bernard Clark
Any collection is inevitably shaped by a collector’s preferences and interests, not in the least those pertaining to artistic and aesthetic considerations.
Yet a more subdued quality of private collections – formed, after all, through the deeply personal process of selecting, curating and enjoying artworks during one’s lifetime – lies in the personal ethos of the collector. This seems particularly true for The Bader Collection, which in myriad ways reflects Bader’s ideals and sensibilities.
The life of this “chemist-collector” was marked by both extraordinary successes as well as hardships at a young age. These formative experiences, which include a harrowing escape from Nazi-occupied Austria and subsequent internment in a prisoner-of-war camp in Southern Quebec, shaped a lifelong commitment to principles of generosity, hospitality and social justice.
Bader’s own perseverance through these struggles, as well as the kindness of others shown during crucial moments, also inspired a deeply held belief in the power of individual agency and responsibility.
Not surprisingly, such themes frequently surface in The Bader Collection, particularly in biblical works with strong moral implications such as Elijah and The Widow of Zarephath, Ruth and Naomi aԻ The Good Samaritan.
Jan Victors (1619-1676), Ruth and Naomi, 1653, oil on canvas. Purchase, Bader Acquisition Fund, 2015 (58-002). Photo: Bernard Clark
In these narratives, the central message revolves around selfless aid or loyalty shown by protagonists to others, whether complete strangers – as the Prophet Elijah was to the Widow of Zarephath, or the traveler to the Samaritan – or one’s (chosen) family, such as the young Moabite Ruth and her Judean mother-in-law Naomi.
Writing about Reyer Jacobsz van Blommendael’s The Good Samaritan, Alfred Bader remarked when such scenes engaged what he considered “the ˴Ƭ of all the Biblical commandments” to “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Leviticus 19:9-18), adding that “if only we understood the lesson truly, that our neighbor is all mankind, we would try harder to give the best possible service, to all who need help.”
Addressing the commandment again in both of his autobiographies, he assigned particular meaning to the verse “you shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:16) which underlines the moral obligation to be proactive in one’s commitment to justice – a commitment measured in deeds more than words or intentions.
Reyer Jacobsz. van Blommendael (1628-1675), The Good Samaritan, 1635, oil on canvas. Gift of Alfred and Isabel Bader, 1988 (31-001)
Read Dr. Suzanne van de Meerendonk’s full article,
