From the vE collection.

Our collection boasts several prints from Pim van Eekelen’s collection. All these pieces feature his mark, a V and E in a circle in blue-greenish ink, mostly on the verso of the prints or on a cardboard mount. Here, the collector would also include information on the biographies of the artists and in some cases even the provenance.

Willem Frederik (known as Pim) van Eekelen (1923-1984) was an Amsterdam psychologist, a numismatist and collector of prints and drawings, of whom little is known.

In a short article from 2001, Karel Soudijn provided some information. Pim van Eekelen was a psychologist, working as head of the psychology department of the Raadgevend Efficiency Bureau Bosboom en Hegener N.V. in Amsterdam. He published several articles in this domain. He was also on the board of the Dutch Institute of Psychologists (Nederlands Instituut van Psychologen) and collaborated in the editing of the journal of the Institute.

Until the early 1970s van Eekelen collected prints, but, due to lack of space at his home, began later to acquire coins and then medals. From 1979, Van Eekelen published several articles on contemporary Dutch medalists in the journal De Beeldenaar.

He wrote two articles on some engravers: ‘Het grafisch werk van Frederika Broeksmit’, in Kunst Laaft, June 1980, 5; ‘Het grafisch werk van Thérèse Schwartze, Inleiding en oeuvrecatalogus’, in Kunst Laaft, January 1983, 8.

In 1968 the collector donated a series of prints by Hans I Collaert after Lambert Lombard from the Seven Virtues to the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam (inv. RP-P-1968-256 to 263).

Ten years after his death, his collection of prints would have been sold in several auctions during the years 1995/1996 in The Hague, at Glerum, the sale of February 28, 1995 for example, or that of March 4, 1996 (https://rkd.nl/explore/library/61011).

His friend, the artist Desjardine, is said to have bought a large amount of works during these sales.

His collector’s mark can be found on old prints (our portrait of Cosimo I de’Medici, nr. 65021, or the Allegory of Planet Mars, nr. 65939), rare 17th century impressions (like the set of Italian Peasants, nr. 64819), charming 18th century mezzotints (nrs. PR121041, 64882, 60709), and 19th- and 20th-century sheets (nrs. 63137, 66940, PR121055). He had a real taste for contemporary engravers.

It is less known, on the other hand, that Pim van Eekelen also collected several drawings from all schools and all periods, which also bear his mark (Washington, National Gallery of Art, inv. 2009.91.1 as anonymous Florentine XVth century).

Please find all the objects in our collection from Pim van Eekelen’s at this link.

Relevant bibliography and other sources:
K. Soudijn, ‘Herinneringen aan W.F. van Eekelen’, De Beeldenaar, 2001, 6, pp. 248-250;
Marques des Collections, F. Custodia (L.5101): http://www.marquesdecollections.fr/detail.cfm/marque/12616/total/1;
RKD record: https://rkd.nl/nl/explore/artists/472100