| | | | | | | | Document | Sale Catalog N-126 | |
| Auction House | Rijp -- from catalog: Gebroeders van Rijp | | Sale Location | Premises, op de Kortehoogstraat, Westzijde E. No 288, Rotterdam, Netherlands | | Seller(s) | Pot, Gerrit van der, Heer van Groeneveld
from catalog: Nagelaten door Wijlen den wel Edel-Geb. Heer Gerrit van der Pot, Heer van Groeneveld | | Lugt Number | 7424 | | No. of Painting Lots | 159 | | Notes | The sale of Gerrit van der Pot's collection of paintings was one of the most important events of its kind to take place in the Netherlands during the early decades of the nineteenth century. Van der Pot's cabinet was widely regarded as the finest in Rotterdam during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, and it certainly rivalled the best in Amsterdam as well. Gerrit Van der Pot (1732-1807) was born in Rotterdam, where he also lived and worked most of his life as a merchant and sugar refiner. The only exception were the years 1787-1795, which he spent as an émigré in Brussels. Since his strong political sympathy for the patriots was well known, he took refuge there when the Prussian armies came to the aid of the Prince of Orange during the 1787 riots. Subsequently Van der Pot was officially banished by the Court of Holland. During his absence, at least part of his collection must have remained in Rotterdam, since it was seen there by Samuel Ireland in 1789 (A Picturesque Tour through Holland, Brabant, and part of France, Made in the Autumn of 1789, 1796, p. 39). The advent of the French allowed him to return to Rotterdam in 1795, at which time he was appointed councillor and alderman, offices he held until 1797. He also purchased the monumental house at Korte Hoogstraat 288, where his collection was then hung and given an appropriate setting. The Belgian dealer P.J. Thijs was employed as his conservator, with the painter Nicolaas Muys overseeing the arrangement. Van der Pot died childless and a widower on March 19, 1807.
The origins and growth of the collection are well documented through the existence of an inventory, probably compiled by Van der Pot himself or Nicolaas Muys, which includes information on the provenance and other particulars of each painting (Rotterdam, Gemeentelijke Archiefdienst, Bibliotheek van Handschriften, nr.353; see Oud Holland, 48, 1931, pp.201-214). From this document we learn that his first purchase was a pair of small genre scenes by Sorgh (lot 152 in the present sale) for which he had paid fl. 334 at the Beyerman sale in Gouda on April 21/22, 1778. At the same sale he also purchased five portraits by Van der Helst (lots 50 and 51 in the present sale) and one or two other items as well. During the time he was forming his cabinet, Van der Pot sold or exchanged several paintings, and also commissioned a few from contemporary artists, such as Dirk Langendijk, Aert Schouman and his cousin Gerard van Nijmegen, although the latter is known to have given him at least three of the paintings found in this sale. A few were also acquired as gifts or by inheritance, and two pictures by E. van der Poel and Pynacker had even been left behind by the previous owner of the house he purchased, as was a mantle piece by Abraham Hondius. (The latter was included in a sale of Van der Pot's books, drawings and prints held in Rotterdam on October 28/29, 1807 (cat. no.118-A), which was the first auction of his property to take place.) Van der Pot was active as a buyer in Paris, Brussels, Rotterdam, The Hague, Leyden, Amsterdam and several other Dutch cities, often buying though his agents Thijs or Muys (the latter from about 1793 onward). We are informed about many of Van der Pot's purchases through his correspondence with Thijs between November, 1795, and December, 1802, which has been preserved (see Rotterdamsch Jaarboekje, 1932, pp. 4-17). He also bought several works directly from dealers and collectors, among them Fouquet Jr., Nyman, De Neufville, Van der Hooft, Lemmens and Thijs. After his death his paintings remained in his home for the 15 months prior to the sale. By order of the Rotterdam collector Gerrit van der Pals and the other executors of Van der Pot's will, his pictures were appraised on April 9ff. by Muys and Van Nijmegen. Between May 20 and the time of the sale the collection was on view at Van der Pot's premises. During this interval persistent rumors circulated that the paintings had already been sold en bloc, causing the executors to put several advertisements in the Rotterdamsche Courant firmly denying these reports and offering a reward of fl. 50,000 to anyone who could provide evidence to the contrary.
The catalogue of the sale, which attracted international attention, was printed in both Dutch and French editions; the existence of a handwritten transcription in English (RKDH IV) may indicate that an English edition was also considered but never printed. It was an enormous success, producing record prices that remained unsurpassed for many years. Louis Bonaparte, the King of Holland, was instrumental to the success of the sale, buying a total of 63 paintings through various agents. These purchases were organized by Johan Meerman (1753-1815), director-general of sciences and arts, to whom the King had provided a budget of fl. 100,000 to be used specifically for this sale. His purchases were brought to Amsterdam to be housed with the collection of the newly installed Koninklijk Museum (formerly the Nationale Konst-Gallery), which Bonaparte had moved from the Buitenhof in The Hague to Amsterdam's town hall on the Dam the same year. With the exception of some exchanges made with the Mauritshuis in 1825, all of these paintings are still in the Rijksmuseum. Among them is Dou's Night School, for which fl. 17,500 was paid, by far the highest price of the sale and also the highest for any painting during this period. In his report to the King, Meerman tried to put this excessive amount into perspective by pointing out that at one time Van der Pot had been offered fl. 50,000 for it. (See E.W. Moes and E. van Biema, De Nationale Konstgallerij en het Koninklijk Museum, 1909, pp.111-113.) Similarly large amounts were paid for Potter's Herdsmen with their Cattle (fl. 10,050), and two splendid marine paintings by Willem van de Velde (fl. 8000). Other major purchases by Bonaparte included The Holy Kinship, thought to be by Hubert and Jan van Eyck and now recognized as by Geertgen tot Sint Jans (fl. 210), Isaac Blessing Jacob by Flinck (fl. 1380), The Leyden Baker Arent Oostwaard and his Wife Catharina Keizerswaard by Steen (fl. 705), The Painter's Studio by A. van Ostade (fl. 600) and Boatmen Moored on the Shore of an Italian Lake by Pynacker (fl. 1800). One of the few expensive pictures that did not go to Bonaparte was an Italian landscape by Jan Both, which was bought by the dealer Coclers for an astounding fl. 4010 (it is now in the Mauritshuis). Some of the less costly purchases were also of good quality, such as the Woman Reading a Letter by a Window by De Hooch, sold to Allard for fl. 155 (now in the Budapest Museum). Altogether the amount spent by Bonaparte came to fl. 101,881, about four-fifths of the total. There is some uncertainty on the amount realized by the entire sale, since various catalogues give differing figures, ranging from a low fl. 94,650 (FDP) to a high fl. 134,696 (RMA). A list of the buyers and the prices paid for each lot was printed after the sale, and by adding these together one arrives at a figure of fl. 127,037, which is probably the most reliable. A further sale of Van der Pot's books was held in The Hague on October 17/21, 1808. (B. Fredericksen) | | Catalog Location(s) | RKDH I [annotations used in Sales Contents; photocopy in Provenance Index Sales Files] Annot. with all buyers and prices as well as a few notes about the provenance of individual lots. There is also a printed list of results. (Dutch edition)
MR Annot. in ink and pencil with all buyers and prices, as well as a few notes about the provenance and cost of certain lots. There is also a printed list of the results.
AMR I Annot. with all buyers and prices. There is also a printed list of results bound separately. (Dutch edition)
BMPL Annot. with all buyers and prices, but includes also a printed list of the buyers and prices for lots 1-74. It belonged to Wm. Smith. (Dutch edition)
RMA I Annot. with all buyers and prices. There are also many pencilled notes about provenance which may be modern. Reference is often made to valuations made for tax purposes in 1807 and so the catalogue may have belonged to a member of the family or an executor. (Dutch edition)
VAL I Annot. with all buyers and prices as well as some notes about provenance.
RKDH III Annot. with all buyers and prices. (Dutch edition)
EBNP Annot. with all buyers and prices. (Dutch edition)
FLNY Annot. with all buyers and prices. (Dutch edition)
LBDa I Annot. with all buyers and prices. It may have belonged to the dealer P. van der Schley. (Dutch edition)
ESP II Annot. in pencil with all buyers and prices. (Dutch edition)
ESP III Annot. with all buyers and prices. (Dutch edition)
MB II Annot. in pencil with all buyers and prices. (Dutch edition)
MB III Annot. with all buyers and prices. (Dutch edition)
SBB Annot. in pencil with all buyers and prices. It is addressed to Heer J. Van Reijsewijk te Arnhem.
VAL II Annot. with all buyers and prices.
SMLn Annot. with all buyers and prices. (French edition)
BPG Annot. with all buyers and prices. It belonged to the dealer J.B.P. Lebrun. (French edition)
AA Annot. with all buyers and prices. There is also the printed list of results. (French edition)
RKDH II [photocopy in Provenance Index Sales Files] Annot. with all buyers and prices. (French edition)
ESP I Annot. with all buyers and prices. (French edition)
AAP [photocopy in Provenance Index Sales Files] Annot. with all buyers and prices. (French edition)
MBB Annot. with all buyers and prices. (French edition)
MA Annot. with all buyers and prices. (French edition)
MB I Annot. with all buyers and prices. (French edition)
ULNe Annot. with all buyers and prices. The buyers' names are given both in pencil and ink and often do not agree. The latter may have been taken from a printed list of buyers.
BNP Not seen. According to Lugt it is annot. with buyers and prices.
KKD Present location unknown. According to Lugt it is annot. with buyers and prices.
AMR III Annot. in ink and pencil with some buyers and all prices. (Dutch edition)
NGW Annot. with all prices. It includes the printed list of buyers and prices which is also marked with the lots bought for the king. A note by lot 132 indicates that the catalogue belonged to the French dealer Lafontaine. (French edition)
RMA II Annot. with all prices. (Dutch edition)
UU Annot. with all prices. (Dutch edition)
UBA Annot. with all prices. (Dutch edition)
CCPP Annot. with all prices. (French edition)
KBH II Annot. with all prices. (French edition)
SIF Annot. with all prices. (French edition)
AMR II Not annot. It includes the printed list of results. (French edition)
BML Not annot. excepting a few modern notes.
KBH I Not annot. (Dutch edition)
JPGM [photocopy in Provenance Index Sales Files] Not annot. (Dutch edition)
LBDa II Not annot. It may have belonged to the dealer P. van der Schley. (Dutch edition)
BMR Not annot.
VAL III Not annot.
INP Not annot.
LP Not annot.
NGL Not annot. (French edition)
RKDH IV This is a handwritten transcription in English, perhaps intended to serve for an English edition. Not annot.
ULn Not seen.
MM Not seen. According to Lugt it is not annot.
AKW Not annot. (Dutch edition)
PMMo Not seen. | | See Also | Sale Contents | | | Art Sales Catalogues Online | | | Digitized Catalog - GRI | | | Digitized Catalog - Frick | | | |
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