NRC writes about it in 2013 according to the family: a 17-year-old granddaughter of Mrs. Silbermann (Oosje to friends) had a brain tumor, and Mrs. Silbermann heard a voice in her head telling her that she had to make a sacrifice to make sure her daughter would live.
Wilsonbekwaam
Mrs. Silbermann then decided to donate her most precious possession, a painting from 1918 by Bart van der Leck, to the Rijksmuseum. It was personally collected for then director Wim Pijbes.
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The granddaughter is now healthy, but the issue with the painting is not comfortable for the family. She believes that the Rijksmuseum acted hastily and carelessly and – just like the civil-law notary – has not complied with its duty to investigate. Mrs. Silbermann is said to have been incapacitated by her granddaughter’s illness. This is endorsed by a befriended psychiatrist.
Letter to the museum
Shortly after Mrs. Silbermann had given the painting away, one of her sons claimed to have tried ten times to get Pijbes on the phone for an explanation – without success. On September 3, 2013, a law firm sent a letter to the Rijksmuseum on behalf of Ms. Silbermann and her sons, stating that she had already given the painting to her sons for tax reasons and had made a mistake due to her age and mental health. But the following week, on September 13, Ms Silbermann signed the deed of gift at the notary of the Rijksmuseum.
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The museum’s lawyer tells NRC that the museum did act with due care, and that after the letter in which Ms Silbermann revoked her donation, it was even ‘more accurate than usual’ that it was examined whether Ms really wanted to give the painting. She would not have appeared confused and even attended donation dinners.
Family not happy
She would have told employees of the civil-law notary that her donation had not gone down well within the family and that people would even have threatened to never visit her again if she continued the donation.
Both parties go in with a straight leg. According to the newspaper, the museum accuses the family of producing ‘more or less’ evidence and questions the authenticity of the agreement by which Mrs Silbermann is said to have given the painting to her sons. But son Matthijs says he has every confidence in his hearing.
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