The King Baudouin Foundation US enables the donation of a painting by Hans Memling. The portrait of a  member of the family De Rojas is returning to the city of Bruges, where it was painted. The painting dating from the 15th century will be kept at St. John’s Hospital (the Memling Museum).

The portrait of a member of the family De Rojas, painted by Hans Memling in the 15th century, is returning to the city of Bruges, where it was painted. It was donated by American philanthropist J. William Middendorf and will be kept at St. John’s Hospital (the Memling Museum). The donation was made with guidance from King Baudouin Foundation US, part of the King Baudouin Foundation network.

Francisco de Rojas was the scion of a noble Spanish family and Ambassador of Spain to the Burgundian court. This is one of the few representations we have providing evidence of the Spanish presence in Bruges, when it was a trading center in the Middle Ages.

A few years ago the King Baudouin Foundation US set up the KBFUS ART program to help donors in the US with the complex cultural, legal and tax-related aspects of donating art across international borders. The donation of this work by Memling is a fine example of the role played by the King Baudouin Foundation’s network.

“In the past 55 years I have discovered Bruges and visited it regularly”, said Middendorf. “I see it as a rare jewel, largely preserved as it was in the Middle Ages. The beauty of the city and the art from past centuries draw me back there again and again. Memling, one of the great masters, was a prominent citizen of the city. I also appreciate Till-Holger Borchert, both as an art historian and for his friendship that has grown through the arts over the decades. All these aspects contributed to my decision to ensure that this work from my collection, which I purchased in 2002 after the death of its previous private owner, would be returned to Bruges.”

“The guidance we received from KBFUS was vital in making it possible for the painting to return to Bruges”, said Till-Holger Borchert. “Thanks to the process that has been created by the KBFUS for donations of works of art, everything went smoothly. It is so amazing, I can hardly believe it is happening.”