Dutch Collection of Art & Antiques Fetches £2.86m at Bonhams Auction

*Kees van Dongen (Dutch 1877-1968) Deauville, Le champ de courses, circa 1935. Sold for £356,000 | Bonhams*

In a dazzling spectacle of high-stakes bidding, the illustrious collection of the late Dutch connoisseur-collector Cornelis Paulus van Pauwvliet took center stage at Bonhams New Bond Street on Tuesday, November 21. The auction, a crescendo of anticipation, saw a remarkable total of £2.86 million change hands as passionate art enthusiasts vied for a piece of cultural history.

Van Pauwvliet’s meticulously curated assortment encompassed a symphony of exquisite furniture, silver, ceramics, and clocks, harmonizing in a celebration of Dutch and French Fine and Decorative Works of Art. Assembled with devotion over a span of five decades within the walls of his Amsterdam residence, the collection provided a window into the evolution of Dutch taste from the 17th to the late 19th century.

*A Dutch silver coffee-urn, Joannes Winter, Amsterdam, 1733. Sold for £95,500 | Bonhams*

Bonhams UK Group Director for House Sales and Private and Iconic Collections, Charlie Thomas, beamed with satisfaction as the gavel fell on this exceptional private collection. He remarked, “It represented the very best of Dutch and French Fine and Decorative Works of Art. Diligently assembled by Cornelis Paulus van Pauwvliet over a 50-year period, the works in this sale showcased the evolution of Dutch taste from the 17th century to the late 19th century, and it was no surprise that collectors responded so enthusiastically.”

Among the star performers, Kees van Dongen’s “Deauville, Le Champ de Courses” from 1935 stole the spotlight, commanding a staggering £356,000. Johan Jongkind’s “Sortie du port de Honfleur” of 1866 surpassed expectations, achieving £102,000 against an estimate of £50,000-70,000. An Italian Baroque ormolu-mounted pietra dura inlaid ebony casket, attributed to the grand Ducal Workshops of Florence, exceeded projections by reaching £165,000.

*A Dutch silver large tankard by Johannes Schiotling, Amsterdam, 1767*. *Sold for £108,000* *| Bonhams*

The realm of Dutch silver witnessed a triumph, with an 18th-century Dutch silver tankard by Johannes Schiotling, part of the Rijksmuseum’s seminal Rococo exhibition in 2001-2000, fetching an impressive £108,000. Meanwhile, a fine 18th-century Dutch silver coffee-urn by Joannes Winter of Amsterdam from 1733 brewed up excitement, making £95,650 against an estimate of £30,000 – 50,000.

Clock enthusiasts were not to be outdone, as the extensive Dutch, French, and English timepieces surpassed all expectations. The pièce de résistance was a mid-18th century French ormolu-mounted longcase clock by Julien Le Roy of Paris, soaring to £89,300 against a low estimate of £70,000. An 18th-century ebony table clock by George Graham, London c. 1730, added to the rhythmic beat of success, achieving £82,950 against an estimate of £30,000 – 50,000.

In the aftermath of this extraordinary auction, the legacy of Cornelis Paulus van Pauwvliet lives on, etched into the annals of art history as a testament to a lifetime dedicated to the pursuit of beauty and cultural richness.

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