CODART regrets the passing of our member Frans Baudouin, who died on January 1st. Frans Baudouin was the doyen of Flemish art historians. He was the former director of the Rubenshuis and the driving force behind the founding of the Rubenianum, as well as an outstanding specialist in Rubens. As the director of the Center for the Study of 16th- and 17th-Century Flemish Art, which operates from the Rubenianum, he continued into advanced age to promote the interests of our field. Baudouin was a mainstay of the Flemish museums, always available for help in bringing in acquisitions, funding publications or recommending personnel. He was a gentleman of the old school, always well-groomed, a model of courtesy and skilled in the arts of diplomacy. Although he was not able to participate actively in CODART, it was characteristic of the man that he took an interest in our organization and took satisfaction in his membership.

The director of CODART, Gary Schwartz, first met Frans Baudouin in 1966, when Badouin hired him to translate a brochure for the Rubenshuis. Since that time, he could always count on a friendly greeting and interest in his work. Many other CODART members will have had this experience over the years. We take leave of a cherished member who was a model of dedication to art, art history, art documentation, the art museum and all of us who work in the field.

A memorial service is to be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, 8 January 2005 in the

Carolus Borromeuskerk
Hendrik Conscienceplein
Antwerp

The church is open from 10:30 on for well-wishers to gather and greet each other. The burial following the service will take place at Schoonselhof Cemetery in Antwerp.