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Jelle Taeke de Boer (February 26, 1908 – October 7, 1970) was a Dutch art collector born inMeppel,Drenthe. He grew up in a poor family, with his mother dying when he was four years old, and his father analcoholic.
During the depression of the 1930s, Jelle was having trouble raising a family, yet found motivation inVincent van Gogh as a role model. He eventually became nearly obsessed with him, collecting literature and eventually anything attributed to him. His mission in life was to find the nearly 800 pieces that could be traced back to Van Gogh. He quickly became an expert on the subject of the painter.
During their lives, famous impressionists likeVincent van Gogh,Manet,Monet andCézanne, were ostracized and many times had to trade their artworks for some food or a night's lodging. In this way many pieces have seemed to be lost forever. In the case of Van Gogh, perhaps even hundreds.
By 1960 Jelle de Boer accumulated nearly 400 works, 100 of which he attributed to Van Gogh. A close friend recommended that he open his gallery to the public. On June 11, 1966, he opened the doors to what he called the "Galerie d'Art" inAmsterdam. Visitors had to buy the catalogue, with illustrations of 57 exhibits.[1]
From that exposition JD Fogarty, an American lawyer, bought four paintings which were proven to be authentic master pieces. “The Bacchanale” fromPuvis de Chavannes, “Dans le Foret” fromMonticelli, “L’Homme a Table” fromToulouse-Lautrec and finally the top piece, the “Infanta Margarita” fromManet. Mr. Fogarty has since spent 35 years to have these examined and authenticated as the priceless copy made byÉdouard Manet. In December 2003, the international acknowledgement of the Infanta painting was again substantiated by an article in the Journal of the American Institute for Art Restoration and Preservation.[citation needed]
In July 1967, Jelle de Boer showed 200 of his best works in theHofgalerie inLucerne,Switzerland. The Swiss art establishment filed a complaint on suspicion of fraud. After several weeks of headlines and television reports, the police decided to confiscate the entire collection. Hofgalerie's owner Anton Achermann was arrested and put in jail – in solitary confinement. All works were removed in order to be destroyed as fakes. Jelle de Boer was never allowed to see his collection again and he died of aheart attack in 1970, 62 years of age. Anton Achermann's business and his name had been ruined by his confinement, and he decided to spend the rest of his life fighting against injustice. Achermann succeeded in releasing approximately 180 works. 21 works were to remain in the Palace of Justice till June 2002.
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