| | | | | | | | Document | Sale Catalog B-224 | |
| Auction House | Beeckmans (N.F.) -- from catalog: Mons.r Beeckmans | | Sale Location | Maison de Monsieur Wellens, Place de la Monnaie, Antwerp, Belgium | | Seller(s) | Vinck de Wesel, Jean François Joseph de
from catalog: Feu Mons.r J.F. De Vinck de Wesel | | Lugt Number | 8356 and 8575 | | Notes | The proprietor, Jean François de Vinck de Wesel, seigneur de Westwezel et de Westdoorne (1747-1811), was an important collector and bibliophile, and the sales of his possessions constituted one of the major events in the Belgian art market during the early part of the century. He was married to H.F. Stier, also a member of a prominent and well-to-do family with a tradition of collecting, and directories to Antwerp invariably refer to their collection as one of the city's most important assets. Not much is know as yet about how the collection was formed, but at least ten paintings had been purchased at the Knyff sale in Antwerp in 1785, and it would appear that the paintings were probably acquired piecemeal in this manner rather than through inheritance. One of them, lot 46, a landscape by Breenbergh, had been purchased by De Vinck as recently as 1806.
The auction of De Vinck's paintings had been originally set for April 27 ff., 1813, but it was postponed because of the unsettled situation on the continent, finally being held 16 months later. The catalogue was reprinted, but a few of the extant copies carry the original date. In the meantime, sales of De Vinck's prints were scheduled to be held by the auctioneer Bincken on May 4, 1813, and of the library on May 5/6. Both of these sales were to take place in the residence in the Marché St. Jacques, but since later sales of De Vinck's prints and books were also held (on Aug.20 and Aug.23/24, 1814) in conjunction with the present picture sale, it is possible that these too contained items not sold in 1813. The sale of books, like the present sale of paintings, was held in the Place de la Monnaie, the home of Monsieur Wellens, who is still unidentified.
The prices realized by De Vinck's paintings were generally quite good, and, so far as is known, no lot was left unsold. Numerous collectors of note were bidding, including the princes Pierre and Auguste d'Arenberg as well as members of De Vinck's family. The pictures do not seem to have been sold according to any recognizable plan, although the first lot did fetch the highest price. Somewhat less than half of the lots were by Flemish artists and roughly a quarter were Dutch, but there was also a significant number of Italian works and even a few Spanish. Many of the paintings are now in museums.
The first lot was Rubens' Portrait of R.P. Michel Ophovius, which was bought by Baron H.-J. Stier d'Aertselaer for 3800 francs. (At the latter's sale in 1822 it brought 4050 francs and is now in the Mauritshuis in The Hague.) No other lot fetched even half this amount, although lots 283-289, by André Lens depicting events from the life of Christ and Mary, were sold as a group for 4000 francs. Another expensive lot was no.55, a scene of a riding school by Wouwermans, which was sold for 1650 francs. This picture had been purchased in 1810 at the sale of Mme. H.N. Wellens for 1900 francs, and so was being sold at a loss. (A note by J.B.P. Lebrun in the BPG copy of the 1810 sale also suggests that the painting had been seriously overestimated, and it is possible that the painting was the subject of some disception by "Wellens," its purchaser in 1810, who was evidently the same person in whose house the present sale was being held, and to whom it was again knocked down -- although some catalogues give the buyer as Regemorter. Subsequently the painting was transported to Paris where it appeared in two sales, the first held by the expert Charles Paillet in 1818, and the second by Laneuville in 1820. A note in the RKDH copy of the catalogue for the latter sale, held on Mar.21, 1820, states that the painting had been sold to Paillet by "Wellens" for 3000 [French?] francs. This implies that the painting may have belonged to Wellens throughout the period 1810-1818, and so may never have belonged to De Vinck. However, it is also possible that Wellens had sold the painting to De Vinck and then bought it back at the latter's sale.)
One other lot surpassed 1000 francs: No.11, a painting by Van Dyck of the drunken Silenus being supported by two bacchantes, was sold for 1200 francs to Jean-François, baron de Vinck de Deux-Orp, a relative, who bought a large number of paintings at the sale. When the painting reappeared at the latter's posthumous auction in 1827 it fetched only 400 francs. (It is now in the Brussels Museum.)
The FLNY I copy of the catalogue is annotated with estimates by the Antwerp painter J.F.J. Mertens, and these show that a total of 40,828 francs was expected for the paintings. The same catalogue also indicates, however, that De Vinck's estate received just 32,304 francs, somewhat less than hoped for, although this may reflect the net amount after expenses had been subtracted. For some reason, the pictures purchased by Jean François, baron de Deux-Orp, have a third set of figures in the FLNY I catalogue that are often lower than those given as the purchase price. This may reflect a special arrangement given the baron. | | Catalog Location(s) | MA II Annot. with all buyers and prices. It was formerly NA.
FLNY I Annot. with some buyers and most prices. It also has estimates and details about the results.
FLNY II Annot. with most buyers and prices.
AAP [photocopy in Provenance Index Sales Files] Annot. in ink and pencil with a few buyers and most prices. At the back there is a list of paintings bought by Prince Pierre d'Arenberg, so he may have been the owner of the catalogue.
RKDH I Annot. in ink and pencil with many buyers and most prices. It belonged to the dealer John Smith.
RKDH II [photocopy in Provenance Index Sales Files] Annot. with most prices.
EBNP Not seen, but according to Lugt it is annot. with prices.
SIF Not seen, but according to Lugt it is not annot.
MA I Annot. with most buyers and all prices.
MPA Annot. with the buyers and prices for lots 1-29 only.
MB Not annot.
VAL Not annot.
JPGM [photocopy in Provenance Index Sales Files] Not annot.
BG Annot. in ink and pencil with many buyers and all prices. It is addressed to "Versturnie Roegiers roode tharen Straet No.7" The cover is inscribed "J Tracher."
FDP Annot. with all prices. It is addressed to Mr. Duparc from VDB.
SMLn Annot. with many buyers and most prices.
ULn I Annot. with a few buyers and most prices.
ULn II Not annot.
ULn III Not annot. It belonged previously to BRB.
BRB Not annot. | | See Also | Sale Contents | | | Art Sales Catalogues Online | | | Digitized Catalog - GRI | | | Digitized Catalog - GRI | | | |
|
|