MADE IN HOLLAND
Amsterdam – The 5th edition of MADE IN HOLLAND, showcasing 400 years of Dutch artistic talent coincides with the 50th anniversary of Christie’s Amsterdam. Since its first sale in 1973, Christie’s Amsterdam has held numerous historic auctions including the Collection of the Princely House of Liechtenstein, the Anton Philips Collection, the Anton Dreesmann Collection, The Property of the Scheringa Museum of Realist Art, The Piet and Ida Sanders Collection, The Hofland Collection and the Collection of Old Master Drawings of Prof. I.Q. van Regteren Altena. In 1986, Christie’s Amsterdam sold the world-famous Nanking Cargo. The trove of more than 150,000 pieces of 18th century Chinese porcelain and gold ingots fetched more than 17 million euros, still a record for any auction conducted in the Netherlands.
Today, Christie’s is located at Vondelstraat 73, Amsterdam-West, built by and formerly the home of P.J.H. Cuypers (1827-1921), architect of the close by Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam’s Central station.
Arno Verkade, Managing Director Christie’s Amsterdam recalls: “Already in the early 1970s Amsterdam was on the expansion map of the British company, becoming the second saleroom on the continent when it opened in 1973. It would take another 5 years before the company expanded to former New Amsterdam, today known as New York. To mark 50 years of Christie’s Amsterdam, the local specialist team is honoured to present a landmark celebratory sale of works by Dutch masters, spanning 500 years of art history. Christie’s Amsterdam offers a wide range of services such as valuations, advice, and direct access to the company’s global network of auctions and private sales, supported by a team of specialists in various fields including Post-War & Contemporary Art, Impressionist & Modern Art, Old Masters, 19th Century Art, Jewellery, Watches and Wine.”
Specialist involved in the MADE IN HOLLAND sale, running online from 26 September to 10 October 2023, have selected some of their favorite works out of circa 75 lots offered, which will be on public view at Christie’s Amsterdam:
OLD MASTER DEPARTMENT
The Old Master department is headed by Manja Rottink who joined Christie’s Amsterdam in 2005. Most recently she has been instrumental in the re-discovery of two intimate Rembrandt portraits Portrait of Jan Willemsz. van der Pluym and Jaapgen Carels, sold for £11,235,000 / $14,268,450 / €13,122,480 in July 2023 in London.
In the Old Masters section of the MADE IN HOLLAND sale is a wonderful early still life with fruits, a Wan-li dish and a spouted pewter ‘Jan Steen’ jug by Jan Davidsz de Heem 91606-1684). Painted in 1627, it is amongst the earliest dated works by the famous Dutch master. It was painted when the young De Heem had moved from Utrecht to Leiden, establishing himself as an independent artist. The composition still shows the influence of Balthasar van der Ast, who may have been his teacher, but also preludes De Heem’s future as one of the greatest still life painters of the 17th Century.
This striking view of Haarlem’s Grote Markt with the church of St. Bavo's and the Vleeshal is amongst Gerrit Berckheyde's (1638-1698) most celebrated townscapes. The Grote Markt was the commercial and civic hub of the city and its principal buildings represented Haarlem's religious, political and commercial institutions, which embodied the city's identity and source of pride in the Golden Age. Gerrit Berckheyde is considered, along with Jan van der Heyden, as one of the greatest of all Dutch painters of townscapes. The artist lived next to the St. Bavo from 1680 onwards.
19th CENTURY ART
Sophie Bremers joined Christie’s Amsterdam in 2008 and today she is in charge of the 19th Century Art department and is a much-appreciated charity auctioneer in the Netherlands. The category encompasses nearly 90,000 artists, including those from the Symbolist, Orientalist, Realist, Dutch and Academic schools, to name a few.
Hendrik Willem Mesdag (1831-1915) was one of the most celebrated leaders of the so-called "The Hague School” and he was praised for his unbiased depiction of the sea, straight from nature. Mesdag differed from his colleagues in choosing only the sea as his subject matter which was a radically new phenomenon that shocked the art world at the time. These typically Dutch seascapes would become very popular, not only in The Netherlands but also in other countries as Belgium, France, UK, America and Canada. The present work Bomschuiten on open sea, Scheveningen is a beautiful example of Mesdag’s work in which he depicts the interesting effects of light on water and the sky.
Paris, the cultural capital of Europe during the fin-du-siècle, was an important source of inspiration for the renowned Dutch impressionist Isaac Israels (1865-1934). Isaac was often inspired by the beauty of the young ‘Parisiennes’ whom he encountered in one of the many parks, as we can see in the present lot. The pastel is an excellent example of Isaac’s Parisian style which may be considered to be the finest of his career. We see his well-known palette of relatively light colours and his rapid treatment of the subject matter, however to him the most important remained the characteristic portrayal of a situation.
20 / 21 CENTURY ART
Jetske Homan van der Heide established 1987 the Modern Art department at Christie's Amsterdam. At the time she signed responsable for the very successfull Belgian Art and CoBrA auctions running until the late 2000s. Internationally Jetske us regarded as the leading expert on Dutch and Belgian pre-war art as she spent her research on the subject since her university years at Groningen.
This joyful painting titled Souvenir de Dordrecht dating from 1907 was recently part of the Kees van Dongen exhibition at Singer Laren. Kees van Dongen was among the pioneering Dutch artists who around 1900 joined the international Avant Garde in Paris. Souvenir de Dordrecht was most probably painted after his visit to Rotterdam in 1907. It not only reflects Van Dongen's artistic prowess but also carries a sense of nostalgia and connection to the place it portrays. The vibrant colours and the sketchy textures harmoniously come together to create a vivid depiction that resonates with both art enthusiasts and those familiar with the charm of Dordrecht.
Since 2011 Elvira Jansen is part of Christie's Amsterdam’s Post War and Contemporary art department and 8 years later, she had been promoted to Head of Sale for the April and November 20/21 Art Amsterdam online sales.
Kolobrzeg, Poland, 26 July 1992, is in my opinion the most iconic work within the oeuvre of Rineke Dijkstra (b.1959). Often compared to Botticelli’s Venus, because of the contrapposto and the sea motive, this teenage girl shows her unease in front of Dijkstra’s camera, who would pretend she was still adjusting her camera settings to capture her subjects unaware, non-posed, revealing their true selves.
Luuk Hoogewerf joined in 2019 as Junior Specialist in the Post-War and Contemporary Art department in Amsterdam. Luuk previously worked at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam. As Head of Sale of the highly successful Made in Holland sales, Luuk has a breadth of knowledge of the art market.
Huilend meisje dated 1953, is a bit rougher compared to Karl Appel’s (1921-2006) earlier works. The brushstroke has become lively, rapid, and confident. It gives the painting a whole lot of expressive energy. This artwork is a true masterpiece on its own. It perfectly shows both what the CoBrA movement cared about and the unique artistic style it had (illustrated front page / estimate €300.000-500,000).
