Cast.

The portrait is encased in what is possibly an original, wooden frame.

Commissioned by the sitter, J.W. Mengelberg (1871-1951), Amsterdam, 1914; bequeathed to his family; their sale, Amsterdam (Mak van Waay), 3 March 1970, no. 2245, fl. 34.26, to the museum; on loan to the Amsterdam Museum, 1982-2005

Object number: BK-1970-25

This very thinly cast plaster relief portrait of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw’s conductor, Willem Mengelberg, is characteristic of works by Pier Pander (1864-1919), a Frisian sculptor active in Rome from 1890. Renowned chiefly for his work as a portraitist of the Dutch beau monde, Pander achieved tremendous success with his portrayal of Queen Wilhelmina used as the effigy on the ten-guilder gold coin of 1898.¹¹For Pander, see J.P. Wiersma, Pier Pander een Fries beeldhouwer in Rome (1864-1919), Drachten 1966 and M. Broersma, Pier Pander (1864-1919): Zoektocht naar zuiverheid, Leeuwarden 2007. As his fame grew in the Netherlands, ever-increasing numbers of Dutch tourists began stopping by Pander’s workshop in Rome, located on Via Nomentana, no. 143. The burgeoning popularity of the ‘most famous Dutch sculptor of our day’ eventually necessitated special visitors’ hours even listed in the popular travel guidebook Baedecker’s.²²J.P. Wiersma, Pier Pander een Fries beeldhouwer in Rome (1864-1919), Drachten 1966, pp. 100, 140. Prominent visitors to the workshop included the Dutch novelist Louis Couperus, who held a great fascination for the serene simplicity of the sculptor’s work and was inspired to write a sonnet cycle (Alba) and a novel (Metamorfoze). Despite living and working in Rome, Panders still spent many of his summers back in his native Netherlands.³³For Pander see J.P. Wiersma, Pier Pander een Fries beeldhouwer in Rome (1864-1919), Drachten 1966 and M. Broersma, Pier Pander (1864-1919): Zoektocht naar zuiverheid, Leeuwarden 2007.

Pander’s first meeting with the Mengelbergs may possibly have occurred as early as 1910, the year of the conductor’s first performance in Rome.⁴⁴E. Bysterus Heemskerk, Over Willem Mengelberg, Amsterdam 1971, p. 49 which quotes from a letter written by the composer Diepenbrock Mahler: Er hatt wirklich ausserordentliche Erfolge (‘He had truly extraordinary successes’) and idem p. 141. Certain is that the two men met in Rome in 1913: after an audience with the Pope and having received the papal blessing of his conductor’s baton, Mengelberg visited the sculptor’s workshop. It was this meeting that resulted in the commissioning of his own portrait. Pander agreed to do the portrait during his next sojourn in the Netherlands; Mengelberg likewise invited him to attend a performance of Mahler in the Concertgebouw.⁵⁵My thanks to Frits Zwart, director NMI, The Hague, for his information on Mengelberg. The nature of the two men’s exchange is clearly reflected in a number of Pander’s letters to Mengelberg, today preserved at the Mengelberg Archive in the Netherlands Music Institute (NMI), The Hague.⁶⁶J.P. Wiersma, Pier Pander een Fries beeldhouwer in Rome (1864-1919), Drachten 1966, p. 162.

The first communication was a postcard dated 25 August 1914. On it, Pander addressed Mengelberg with the informal form ‘jij’, evidence of a meanwhile close understanding. The sculptor expressed his concern about the possibilities of the conductor posing for him: ‘I already feared that we would have to put off our good intention (as we know, for the second half of September?) for a year. All the better that it isn’t necessary, because how regrettable it would be if delay were to end in cancellation!’.⁷⁷Ik vreesde al, dat we ons goede voornemen (immers voor de tweede helft van september?) een jaartje moesten uitstellen. Des te beter zoo 't niet hoeft, want hoe jammer zou 't zijn als er van uitstel eens afstel kwam! On 10 September there was an urgent request from Pander for an appointment: ‘Can we keep to our appointment in the second half of September? I can manage, but can you?’⁸⁸Kan er van onze afspraak nog komen in de tweede helft van September? Ik zal kunnen, maar jij?. The Hague, NMI, archive W. Mengelberg, letter of 10 September 1914, sent from the home of Dr Peters in Heerenveen, one of the sculptor’s friends with whom he regularly stayed during his visits to the Netherlands. The appointment was not cancelled. In a letter to his friend Dr. C.E. Peters in Heerenveen, Pander wrote on 26 September 1914 from Amsterdam ‘... that I’ve again made good progress with Mengelberg’s portrait. He still regards it as something of importance and so makes more time for it than he can spare. Incidentally, his wife was present today for the first time and fortunately thought it was a good likeness, because I was by no means certain. I haven’t known him long, or rather not thoroughly enough to be sure of the likeness. So I’ll start casting at the beginning of next week – as many as 12 casts!⁹⁹Verder wilde ik je zeggen dat de encadreur Firma Fetter in de Vijzelstraat een zeer intelligente indruk maakte en dat hij dacht maandag aan 't Concertgebouw met passepartout en lijst kant en klaar zou komen en de plastilina omlijsten volgens mijne aanwijzing. ... Mocht soms, door den druk geoefend op de glasplaat, de barst daarin door de plastilina heen weer zichtbaar worden, dan kan ik altijd indien de lijst er in mijn tegenwoordigheid of door mij afgenomen wordt, die plastilina wel weer even bijwerken. Als je de portretten in gips telt zul je zien dat er dertien zijn: één voor 't breken. Van die dertien krijg je dus later slechts 11 op de rekening, want één gipsafgietsel kwam je vanzelf toe. De timmerman heeft gezien hoe ik mijn negatief verpakte en kan dus later de gedroogde positieven die je wenscht te verzenden, voor je inpakken op dezelfde wijze. Zoodoende geloof ik aan alles gedacht te hebben.. Cited by J.P. Wiersma, Pier Pander een Fries beeldhouwer in Rome (1864-1919), Drachten 1966, p. 164.

This passage demonstrates the sculptor’s conscientiousness with respect to his work; it also reveals that Mengelberg intended having several examples made of the portrait in plaster. From Pander’s letter of 3 October to Mengelberg, written from his temporary address at the home of the Rotterdam interior designer, N.P. de Koo, it is clear that both the portrait and the required plaster casts were finished: ‘I also wanted to tell you that the frame-maker Fetter in Vijzelstraat made a very intelligent impression and would be ready on Monday at the Concertgebouw with the passe-partout and frame, and would frame the plasticine in keeping with my instructions. ... If pressure on the glass shows up the crack through the plasticine, I can just touch it up, if the frame is removed in my presence or by myself. If you count the plaster portraits, you will see that there are thirteen: one in case of breakage. You will be billed later for only 11, since you were of course entitled to one plaster cast. The carpenter saw how I packed my negative and can pack up in the same way the dried positives for you that you wish to dispatch. So I think I’ve thought of everything.’¹⁰¹⁰Verder wilde ik je zeggen dat de encadreur Firma Fetter in de Vijzelstraat een zeer intelligente indruk maakte en dat hij dacht maandag aan 't Concertgebouw met passepartout en lijst kant en klaar zou komen en de plastilina omlijsten volgens mijne aanwijzing. ... Mocht soms, door den druk geoefend op de glasplaat, de barst daarin door de plastilina heen weer zichtbaar worden, dan kan ik altijd indien de lijst er in mijn tegenwoordigheid of door mij afgenomen wordt, die plastilina wel weer even bijwerken. Als je de portretten in gips telt zul je zien dat er dertien zijn: één voor 't breken. Van die dertien krijg je dus later slechts 11 op de rekening, want één gipsafgietsel kwam je vanzelf toe. De timmerman heeft gezien hoe ik mijn negatief verpakte en kan dus later de gedroogde positieven die je wenscht te verzenden, voor je inpakken op dezelfde wijze. Zoodoende geloof ik aan alles gedacht te hebben. The Hague, NMI, archive W. Mengelberg, letter of 10 October 1914 from Pander to Mengelberg.

At least two of the plaster casts which Mengelberg intended to send to friends or acquaintances can be found in public collections. Apart from the present portrait which originates from the sale of Mengelberg’s estate, the Pier Pander Museum in Leeuwarden also owns one.¹¹¹¹See Museum Pier Pander, coll. cat. Leeuwarden 1954, no. 79. The original plasticine portrait in its frame made by Fetter of Amsterdam has vanished. However, a marble version – also from the conductor’s estate – still exists and is owned by the Stichting het Willem Mengelberg-Archief (The Hague).¹²¹²F. Scholten, ‘De beeldhouwer Pier Pander en de portretten van Willem Mengelberg en zijn vrouw’, Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum 43 (1995), pp. 59-64, spec. fig. 4. A note written by the sculptor dated ‘Rome 23 January 1915’, most probably refers to that version: ‘eight days ago today, the relief was sent to your address. It was sent “express” and will, therefore be well on its way, I think. Will you check carefully that the box is undamaged on arrival and refuse it if it isn’t – what I always do, and have done this time, is add a touch of colour to the relief using clay water. So, no-one should touch it with dirty or wet hands!!’ ¹³¹³’Heden voor acht dagen werd 't reliëf verzonden aan je adres. Het ging “grande vitesse” en zal dus wel al een eind op weg zijn, denk ik. Wil je er op laten letten, dat 't kistje ongeschonden is bij aankomst en anders niet aanvaarden – wat ik altijd doe heb ik ook nu gedaan, n.l. het reliëf met kleiwater een kleurtje gegeven. Daarom liefst geen menschen met vuile of natte handen er aan!. The Hague, NMI, archief W. Mengelberg, letter 23 January 1915, from Pander to Mengelberg. The marble portrait in The Hague has indeed been given a brownish wash, adding more character to the thinly carved relief. Moreover, it is encased in a plain oak frame which, according to the label on the reverse, was made by the Fetter company. Since the frame’s passe-partout is painted olive green – the same colour as the green of the plasticine – we can assume that Mengelberg replaced the original plasticine portrait (the glass base of which was after all cracked) with this marble version.

All thirteen plaster casts reached their destinations, because some time later Mengelberg asked the sculptor to supply more. At least, that can be deduced from the tongue-in-cheek opening words of the reply Pander wrote from Rome on 16 April 1915: ‘Mengelberg highly embarrassed!! I really feel for him! But I can still make another dozen casts. But I’d rather not decide myself where and when, with all the uncertainties of this sublunary, especially at present. Firstly, it is of course uncertain whether I can continue this summer. Otherwise I would say let me do it in Amsterdam. You still have one cast from which I can make a negative. If I make it here, we are faced with the dangers of dispatch. Here in Genoa they’ll want to open everything - and how will they close the boxes again? In Amsterdam they’ll be examined again – it often happens that they arrive broken. Also, if I make them here, there are extra costs, perhaps 2 lire each for the boxes and for the parcels (now always via Genoa) 1.75 lire. However, you can reuse the boxes. I leave it to you to decide, and await your reply. At all events, I do of course hope to be able to make Mrs. Mengelberg’s portrait in September, as well as another in Amsterdam. Regards from Miss de Kanter and yours, Pier Pander Rome 16 Apr. '15.’¹⁴¹⁴Mengelberg in groote verlegenheid!! Ik heb erg met hem te doen, hoor! Maar ik kan nog wel een dozijn afgietsels maken. Alleen over het waar en wanneer wilde ik liever zelf niet beslissen bij alle onzekerheden op dit ondermaansche, vooral tegenwoordig! 1? is het natuurlijk nog onzeker of ik er dezen zomer wel door kan. Anders zou ik zeggen, laat ik het maar liever in Amsterdam doen. Eén afgietsel heb je nog wel voor mij om daarop een negatief te gieten. Maak ik ze hier dan zitten we met de gevaren der verzending. Men zal ze hier te Genua allen open willen maken – en hoe maken ze dan de kistjes weer toe? Te Amsterdam worden ze weer nagekeken – het gebeurt dikwijls, dat ze kapot aankomen. Bovendien, als ik 't hier doe komen er nog extra kosten bij, voor de kistjes allicht 2 lire per stuk en de postpakketten (thans steeds via Genua) 1,75 lire. De kistjes echter zullen je weer kunnen dienen. Ik laat de beslissing aan jou over en wacht antwoord. In elk geval hoop ik natuurlijk zeer in September 't portret van Mevr. Mengelberg te kunnen maken benevens nog een ander te Amsterdam. Groeten van Juffr. de Kanter en tt Pier Pander Rome 16 apr. '15. The Hague, NMI, archive W. Mengelberg, letter of 16 April 1915 from Pander to Mengelberg. In the letter Pander is of course referring to the hostilities which made travel in Europe very difficult.

A final surviving letter from Pier Pander to Mengelberg’s wife was sent from Rome on 24 November 1915. In it Pander mentioned there were some payments problems. Instead of 1,200 guilders (for the second series of 12 casts?) he had only received 200 guilders. The fact that Pander wrote to Mathilde Mengelberg does not necessarily mean the payment related to the portrait he made of her, which had been finished a few months earlier (for the original plasticine portrait, see BK-1994-2). Mengelberg was a notoriously poor correspondent, who often left letters unanswered.¹⁵¹⁵Information from Frits Zwart, director NMI, The Hague; see also E. Bysterus Heemskerk, Over Willem Mengelberg, Amsterdam 1971, pp. 52-53. Pander, who was already familiar with this habit, would wisely have appealed to Mengelberg’s wife when his remuneration was concerned. She attended to her husband’s accounts quite often. The outcome is not known.

Pander’s relief of Mengelberg was the first sculpted portrait of the conductor. Later there was to be a very expressively modelled bust by Archipenko, an impasto portrait in bronze by Gustinus Ambrosi (an Austrian sculptor who worked in the Netherlands for a short period) and a bronze bust by the sculptor Gerrit Jan van der Veen.¹⁶¹⁶E. Bysterus Heemskerk, Over Willem Mengelberg, Amsterdam 1971, pp. 61, 67 and 72. The Ambrosi bust is owned by Stichting het Willem Mengelberg-Archief, The Hague. Mengelberg also had his portrait made by the painters Kees van Dongen and Jan Sluijters. His interest in art, in particular sculpture, was probably partly due to his background: his father was the Utrecht sculptor F.W. Mengelberg (1837-1919), who was in charge of one of the leading workshops of neogothic, ecclesiastical sculpture in the Netherlands. Mengelberg’s sustained friendship with the conductor and art connnoisseur Abraham Bredius will have influenced the former’s love of art.

Mengelberg’s focus on contemporary art is also reflected in the contributions of various artists to the liber amicorum he received to mark his 25th anniversary as conductor of the Concertgebouworkest. There is no point in looking for a contribution from Pier Pander. He had died in Rome the previous year.

Frits Scholten, 2026

J. Leeuwenberg with the assistance of W. Halsema-Kubes, Beeldhouwkunst in het Rijksmuseum, coll. cat. Amsterdam 1973, no. 554; E. Meyer et al., De gebeeldhouwde kop: De ontwikkeling van de gebeeldhouwde kop en het portretbeeld in Nederland van middeleeuwen tot heden, exh. cat. Nijmegen (Nijmeegs Museum Commanderie van Sint-Jan) 1994, no. 62; F. Scholten, Gebeeldhouwde portretten/Portrait Sculptures, coll. cat. Amsterdam (Rijksmuseum) 1995, no. 53; F. Scholten, ‘De beeldhouwer Pier Pander en de portretten van Willem Mengelberg en zijn vrouw’, Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum 43 (1995), pp. 59-64; M. Broersma, Pier Pander (1864-1919): Zoektocht naar zuiverheid, Leeuwarden 2007, pp. 118-21

F. Scholten, 2026, 'Pier Pander, Portrait Medallion of the Conductor Willem Mengelberg (1871-1951), Amsterdam, 1914', in F. Scholten and B. van der Mark (eds.), European Sculpture in the Rijksmuseum, online coll. cat. Amsterdam: https://data.rijksmuseum.nl/20035974