LONDON.- The oil painting by Dutch artist Jan Adam Kruseman (1804-1862) is thought to be a portrait of the 19th century explorer and archaeologist Giovanni Battista Belzoni (1778-1823), known as the “Great Belzoni”. It has been donated to the Fitzwilliam Museum through the Cultural Gifts Scheme by Daniel Katz Limited, in honour of Tim Knox who served as Director of The Fitzwilliam Museum between 2013 – 2018.

The characteristics displayed by the sitter in the portrait – such as the strongman pose, ample facial hair and oriental costume – can be identified in other known portraits of Belzoni.

Born in Italy, Giovanni Belzoni studied hydraulic engineering before travelling throughout Europe and coming to England in 1803. He worked as a circus strongman at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, where his height (at almost 2 metres tall) and large build meant he became a freak show attraction, impressing audiences with displays of his strength under his stage names the “Patagonian Samson” and “the Great Belzoni.” In 1815 Belzoni sailed to Egypt and was employed by Henry Salt, British consul to Egypt, to remove and transport objects like the granite head of Ramesses II to England for the British Museum.

In 1823 (the year before this portrait was completed) Belzoni presented the Fitzwilliam Museum with the lid of the sarcophagus of Ramesses III, which he had discovered in the Valley of the Kings and transported back to England. An unusual gesture for Belzoni as the antiquities he acquired were usually sold to finance future expeditions. As an early benefactor of the museum, Belzoni is credited as the founder of the Fitzwilliam’s extensive collection of Egyptian art.

Jan Adam Kruseman had a successful career as a painter of portraits, genre scenes and historical pictures. Prominent sitters for his portraits include Kings of the Netherlands, Willem I and II, and the Russian tsar Alexander I. Kruseman was skilled at capturing the wealth and status of his portrait subjects and was influenced by Romanticism, a movement in 19th century art and literature that reflected an interest in human psychology, personal feeling and the natural world. Kruseman was born in Haarlem and as a young man studied in Brussels with the pre-eminent French painter Jacques Louis David (1748 – 1825). From 1825 he settled in Amsterdam and later became director of the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, the royal academy for the arts in The Netherlands.

Professor Geoff Ward, Acting Director of the Fitzwilliam said: “As Acting Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum I am delighted that, thanks to Daniel Katz Gallery, this imposing but genial portrait of the Great Belzoni will henceforth be on show to the public. I am delighted too that it honours the contribution to the Museum made by our last full-time Director, Tim Knox. From July to October 2019 the portrait will be at the heart of an exhibition about Belzoni in the Fitzwilliam’s Octagon Gallery, which will draw on our collections to look at the life of this extraordinary individual.”

Michael Ellis, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism said: “I warmly welcome the news that this important portrait of the flamboyant Egyptologist, Giovanni Belzoni, is being saved for the nation and will be on display to the public in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. The Cultural Gifts Scheme, helps to increase access to important works of art and heritage, and ensures they are protected for future generations.”

Edward Harley, Chairman, Acceptance in Lieu Panel said: “I am thrilled that this dramatic portrait of an extraordinary figure in the history of Egyptology has been given to The Fitzwilliam Museum, a recipient of an Egyptian treasure donated by Belzoni himself. This represents another wonderful item generously given by the Daniel Katz Gallery through the Cultural Gifts Scheme and transferred to the public domain where it can be widely enjoyed.”

Daniel Katz Limited said: “I acquired this painting due to my deep love for the study of Egyptology, an interest I have held since I was a young man. Belzoni was responsible for bringing some of the most important and beautiful ancient works of art to this country, including works in the British Museum, the Sir John Soane’s Museum, and pertinently, the Fitzwilliam Museum. I know Tim Knox shares my love and passion for the ancient world, and therefore I thought it a most appropriate gift for the Fitzwilliam Museum in honour of Tim.”