Cornelis Baard

Cornelis Baard was curator and head of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam from 1905 to 1936; he officially became director in 1920. He changed the museum’s focus from a historicizing attitude to one more oriented toward modern art. Thus, he can be considered the founder of the city’s collection of modern visual art and design. He introduced a dynamic exhibition policy and established contacts with important lenders. He was always on the lookout for collectors willing to lend their collections, as he had no financial means to make purchases for the museum.

In addition to the Stedelijk Museum, Baard also directed the Willet-Holthuysen Museum, the Amsterdam Historical Museum, and the Fodor Museum. After his retirement in 1936, he reorganized the Amstelkring Museum as curator. His son, art historian Henk Baard (1906-2000), was director of the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem from 1946 to 1972.