Marcus Kappel, also known as Markus Kappel, (born February 24, 1839 in Cologne; died January 19, 1919 in Berlin) was a German Jewish banker, merchant, art collector and patron of the arts.
Life
Marcus Kappel made his fortune primarily in the grain trade. His company was based in Cologne until 1873, when the headquarters were moved to Berlin. He retired in 1897, but remained a member of the supervisory board of
Phönix AG für Bergbau und Hüttenbetrieb. In 1913, he had private assets of around 7.5 million marks, and his income in the same year amounted to 490,000 marks.
Art collection
Marcus Kappel only began his collecting activities after he had retired. Advised by museum director
Wilhelm von Bode
Wilhelm von Bode (10 December 1845 – 1 March 1929) was a German art historian and museum curator. Born Arnold Wilhelm Bode in Calvörde, and known as Wilhelm Bode for most of his career, he was ennobled in 1913, and thereafter adopted the ar ...
, he collected Dutch and Flemish paintings from the 17th century, which included works by
, Gerard Dou,
Anthonis van Dyck, Frans Hals, Nicolaes Maes, Gabriel Metsu,
Rembrandt van Rijn
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in the h ...
, Peter Paul Rubens and
Jan Steen
Jan Havickszoon Steen ( – buried 3 February 1679) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century. His works are known for their psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour.
Life
...
, which he had hung in a specially constructed skylight room in his house at Tiergartenstrasse 14. Wilhelm von Bode was also responsible for the hanging of the works of art, who based the design on his presentation in the
Kaiser Friedrich Museum
The Bode Museum (), formerly called the Emperor Frederick Museum (), is a listed building on the Museum Island in the historic centre of Berlin. It was built from 1898 to 1904 by order of German Emperor William II according to plans by Ernst ...
.
Kappel also collected old German, old Dutch, Italian Renaissance art and 19th century art. His favorites included paintings and drawings by
Adolph Menzel
Adolph Friedrich Erdmann von Menzel (8 December 18159 February 1905) was a German Realist artist noted for drawings, etchings, and paintings. Along with Caspar David Friedrich, he is considered one of the two most prominent German painters of t ...
. Kappel was a member of the Kaiser Friedrich-Museums-Verein and donated a number of works of art to the Berlin museums (Department of Works of Art of the Christian Era, Picture Gallery, National Gallery, Museum of Prints and Drawings and the Islamic and East Asian Collection).
Kappel rests in the Jewish cemetery on Schönhauser Allee in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg (Field L1); in addition to his wife Mathilde Kappel née Hirsch (1845-1919), David Kappel ( August 16, 1840- September 24, 1903) and Edith Kappel née Simonsen (* May 28, 1853- October 2, 1920) were also buried in the family vault. He and Mathilde had three children: Hedwig Martha Kristeller; Antonie "Tony" Elise Friederike Noah et Marie Betty Rathenau.
Legacy of Marcus Kappel
The Kappel family continued the tradition of art collecting after Kappel's death. Marie Betty Rathenau, née Kappel predeceased Kappel, leaving four grandchildren, who included notable art collectors Ernest Rathenau and folklorist Ellen Ettlinger-Rathenau who were forced to flee the Nazis.
Literature
* Sven Kuhrau: ''Der Kunstsammler im Kaiserreich. Kunst und Repräsentation in der Berliner Privatsammlerkultur.'' Ludwig, Kiel 2005, .
* Rosemarie Köhler, Ulrich Kratz-Whan: ''Der Jüdische Friedhof Schönhauser Allee, Berlin.'' Haude & Spener, Berlin 1992, , S. 97, Nr. 124/L1
References
{{Authority control
Men
1919 deaths
1839 births
German people
Patrons of the arts
Art collectors
Bankers
1919 deaths
1839 births
German Jews
German patrons of the arts
Jewish art collectors
1919 deaths
Jewish art collectors
German Jews
1839 births