Press Release - November 2005 DOUWES FINE ART
1805 - 2005
Amsterdam, the Netherlands From 5 September 2005, the well-known art dealers Douwes Fine Art , are able to celebrate their 200th anniversary, a unique achievement in the world of art. With this feat, this traditional art gallery highlights its position as the 'oldest existing from father-to-son art dealers' in the Netherlands, and in Europe as a whole. It was already in about 1760 that the Douwes tradition took shape with a restoration workshop, a.o. producing theatre décors, lacquering, bronzing, and gilding furniture, and even painting sailing boats. In 1805, Hendrik (1784-1840), a Douwes scion, decided to register his own company in Amsterdam, and entered the St.Luke's Guild, the so-called industry sector for craftsmen from all of the various trades. The subsequent Douwes generations (nearly all of them called Evert) kept a watchful eye on social developments, always trying to anticipate the dynamics of the 19th and 20th centuries in their supply and services. As a result, a frame-making department was added, and the 'Amsterdam script letter' had its origins on the Douwes premises. This beautiful calligraphic letter is still being taught in art colleges. In addition, as early as 1880, Douwes introduced the 'browned' topographic photographs of Amsterdam, a town growing in popularity. The passionate Henri Douwes (1850-1938) could occasionally be found sitting next to Jacob Olie and George Breitner, in their time already renowned photographer artists. The logical result of this early photography was the start of the legendary Douwes library, with its collection of hundreds of thousands of illustrations and photographs of paintings worldwide. From 1910, the fourth generation Evert (1888-1971) played his part in the founding of important art libraries such as the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie - RKD (National Bureau of Art Historical Documentation) in The Hague, the Witt Library of the Courtauld's Institute in London, and the present generations contributed to the substantial library of the J.Paul Getty Museum in the United States. In the meantime, the firm kept strictly to its 'core business' of dealing in mainly Dutch and Flemish Old Master paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as dealing in 19th and 20th century 'contemporary' Dutch painting, such as the Romantic school, the Hague School, and Dutch Impressionism. The thread running through Douwes's history has always been its in-house restoration department. Passionately, and with an expert knowledge of this skilled form of holding on to our heritage, the newest techniques are being used to achieve the highest results for the customers of museums, for collectors, and for the firm's own stock. After WWII, the fifth generation Evert (born in 1928) took over. He expanded the family's expertise with the French Barbizon School, and Pre- and Post-Impressionism. His vision of starting a top-level international art fair, also acting as a buffer to the rising auction houses, took shape in The European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht. He was also a 'founder member' of the TEFAF in 1975, and later in 1986 a co-founder of the Dutch national fair, the PAN in Amsterdam. The present director of Douwes Fine Art, an Evert once again (born in 1953), entered the family firm after his studies of Classical Modern Art, and Rembrandt graphics. On top of the already existing expertise of now almost five centuries of painting, he introduced Russian Social Realism and Impressionism. Douwes also opened a London branch in 1979.
The Douwes tradition has its roots in Amsterdam, and after moving from various canalside locations to the Rokin, business is since 1994 being conducted from a historic and monumental building on the Stadhouderskade, right next to the Rijksmuseum. Because of their vast expertise and their renown, Douwes Fine Art attracts customers from home and abroad. Next to its 'core business', many other services are being provided, ranging from valuations for various purposes, giving lectures in-house or elsewhere, compiling catalogues for glorious exhibitions, and its participation in many art fairs. In November 2005, parallel to the PAN 2005 in Amsterdam, Douwes Fine Art was present at the Shanghai Art Fair. The family mottos are being honoured and kept alive: 'conducting business is forever looking ahead' , and especially 'good-quality art should be accessible to all'. DOUWES FINE ART - 200 YEARS will be celebrated with a Jubilee exhibition on the firm's premises
from 13 December 2005 - 11 February 2006
Opening hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm
The theme of this unique sales exhibition is: 'Rembrandt prints and a selection of Five Centuries of Painting' Catalogue of the exhibition on request at 15 euros
For further information, visit our extensive website at www.douwesfineart.com
or email us at info@douwesfineart.com << Press Articles
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