Sotheby’s sale of 19th-Century, Modern and Contemporary art, to be held in Amsterdam on Tuesday, December 15, 2009, will have at its core a group of works from a celebrated Dutch private collection.
Put together over some 30 years with enormous commitment and discernment, this exceptional collection includes works by leading Dutch names such as Leo Gestel, Johann Barthold Jongkind and Jan Sluijters. These will be offered alongside major works from other sources, including works by many of the most celebrated figures working in Holland from the beginning of the 19th century through to the present day, among them Hermanus Koekkoek, Wouterus Verschuur, Willem Koekkoek, Isaac Israels, and J.C.J van der Heyden.
Mark Grol, Managing Director of Sotheby’s Amsterdam, commented: “As our sales this year have so far demonstrated, there is currently a voracious appetite for good quality, fresh-to-the-market Dutch works of all periods. We are delighted, therefore, to be bringing to the market in December such a strong group of works, many with exceptional provenance. The important Dutch private collection at the heart of the December 15th sale is exceptional in range and in quality – much of it having been acquired from the very best sources over a long period of time. In a market that is driven by a quest for quality, we expect December’s sale to be particularly well received.”
Among the works from the private collection mentioned above is a splendid work by Johan Barthold Jongkind – the highly influential forerunner of Impressionism and the man Claude Monet referred to as his “master.” Painted in Paris in 1875 – when Jongkind’s command of the Impressionist style was at its height – Demolition pour le Nouveau Boulevard de Port Royal is estimated at €30,000-50,000.
Painted in Paris some 31 years later, and also from the same collection, is a highly atmospheric view of Paris by Jan Sluijters – a leading pioneer of various post-impressionist movements in the Netherlands. Estimated at €30,000-50,000, this splendid work of 1906 has not been seen in public since 1972.
These two paintings will be accompanied by some 15 others from the same important collection – among them works by artists such as Leo Gestel (whose Besneeuwde Daken – Dooi is estimated at €18,000-25,000), Herman Berserik, Roger Bissière, Serge Charchoune, Gustave de Smet, Geer van Velde, , Antoine Vollon and Jaap Wagemaker. Further works from this collection (including paintings by Kees van Dongen, Pierre Bonnard, Albert Marquet and Eugène Boudin) will be sold in Sotheby’s sales of Impressionist and Modern Art in London in February 2010.
Alongside the works from this private collection, the sale will feature further fine examples of Dutch Romantic art and Dutch Impressionism. Romantic artists such as Hermanus Koekkoek, Wouterus Verschuur and Willem Koekkoek will be all be represented, together with works by leading Dutch Impressionists such as Isaac Israels and Hendrik Mesdag.
Among the highlights in this section is a panoramic summer landscape by Barend Cornelis Koekkoek. Painted in 1842, this lightsuffused work comes to sale from a Private American Collection and is an excellent example of Koekkoek’s mature style. Replete with all the elements via which the Romantic school commonly expressed their nostalgic longing for a bygone age (oak trees, valleys, ruins, a road chapel) this exceptional painting undoubtedly ranks as one of the masterpieces in Koekkoek’s oeuvre. It is estimated at €150,000-200,000.
The Contemporary section of December’s sale will include an outstanding relief by “Zero” artist Jan Schoonhoven. In July this year, Sotheby’s Amsterdam established a new auction record for Schoonhoven’s work, with the sale of R 61-5, Jalouzieënreliëf/Fanlight-shutters of 1961 for €540,750. From a similar period, the work to be offered in December – Rad 4, of 1968 – is estimated at €100,000-150,000.
Also in the contemporary section of the sale are six pieces by Dutch conceptual artist J.C.J. Van der Heyden. Born in Den Bosch, Van der Heyden is generally recognized as a key figure in Post-War art and a pioneer of Conceptual Art. Frequently exhibited in Europe since the mid-1950s, Van der Heyden has produced a diverse oeuvre in a variety of media, including film and video. While the materials may differ, Van der Heyden’s approach to art-making has remained remarkably consistent over the years. His work is characterized by its “impersonal” nature and its strong, clear forms – characteristics which are clearly evident in the works to be sold in December. One of these, Untitled of 1965, and is estimated at €8,000-12,000.
A highly atmospheric view of Paris by Jan Sluijters. Estimated at €30,000-50,000, this splendid work of 1906 has not been seen in public since 1972. Photo: Sotheby’s
