Note
https://millerfenwood.com/2018/07/26/van-duren-german-fairy-tale/
Miller Fenwood Restoration's blog entry about the painting
VAN DUREN GERMAN FAIRY TALE
Posted by millerfenwood in Custom Frames, Works on Canvas
Oil on canvas circa 1870 to 1910 of a German painting of a fairytale by Cornelius Van Duren (1915 – 2013) came with a large tear, other small tears, scuffs that were minor, heavy airborne contaminates, and deep staining to the surface that masked natural color tones. The young women’s dress is meant to be ivory, for instance, and initial cleaning tests revealed the problematic degree of staining. The severity of the tear was due, in part, to the brittleness of the canvas.
The painting was carefully deep-cleaned, and tented to hydrate the canvas. With weights around the tear, we coaxed the canvas back into place, before performing a formal suture on the reverse. To give more strength to the canvas we re-lined with new linen, and in-filled the areas of loss. Conservation varnish finished the restoration, and a new antique custom frame is in production. Stay tuned for more. . .
Cornelius Van Duren spent part of his life in Holland, Michigan and was a decorated war veteran, serving 30 years in the army in WWII, Korean War and Vietnam. He received the combat infantry badge, bronze star media with valor, among other awards. In 1965 he moved to Long Beach, California where he lived until passing away at the age of 98.
The painting depicts Lily and the Lion by the Grimm Brothers.
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Notes on Miller Fenwood blog text from S. Winthers, July 2024
1.The version of the Grimm Brothers fairy tale linked to the blog entry contains no scenes like that it the painting. A print out of the linked tale is in the accession folder. Other titles for this tale are "The Singing, Springing Lark", "The Singing, Soaring Lark", "The Lady and the Lion" or "Lily and the Lion" (German: Das singende springende Löweneckerchen)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Singing,_Springing_Lark
2. Possible original source for Cornelius Van Duren 1915-2013 biographical information may be:
https://obituaries.forestlawn.com/obituaries/cornelius-van-duren
https://www.presstelegram.com/obituaries/cornelius-van-duren-ca/
IF this is the correct person, the blog's painting creation date estimate of "circa 1870 to 1910" is too early. The artist would have been a 5-year-old child.
Assuming the artist's name is correct, other possible Cornelius Van Duren's include:
Cornelius Van Duren 12 July 1877–5 August 1948, buried in Holland, Michigan
https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/9NKQ-QM5/cornelius-van-duren-1877-1948
Cornelius J. Van Duren 1872-1929, buried in Holland, Michigan
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49803891/cornelius-j.-van_duren
Cornelius “Neil” Van Duren 1907-1914, buried in Holland, Michigan
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49803894/cornelius-van_duren
Cornelius “Pop” van Duren 1869-1964, buried in New Jersey, obit lists as retired gardener - https://northjersey.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-cornelius-van-duren-die/143374554/ and https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46356593/cornelius-van_duren
![Color print after "The Lion's Bride" (1908) by Gabriel von Max: Printed on border: "Painted by Gabriel Max." "[S]upplement to New York Sunday American, Jan. 26, 1908."
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-1152-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
A black-and-white etching of this same image is at:
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/the-lions-bride-painting-by-gabriel-von-max-royalty-free-illustration/1490714396](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/4124/041db540-76c7-11ef-ae6e-7f7382cb34cf-vUU18BC.lg@2x.jpg)
