King William II
Willem Frederik George Lodewijk, The Hague, December 6th 1792 – Tilburg, March 17th 1849
prins van Oranje-Nassau, was from oktober 7th 1840 till his dead king of the Netherlands, Duke of Luxemburg and Duke of Limburg
The art collection of King William II
King William II was known as an art collector and a great admirer of nineteenth-century Romanticism. Within his extensive collection of modern paintings, the work of the promising, young deceased painter Wijnand Nuijen (1813–1839) occupied a prominent and valued place.
King William II was a great admirer of Nuijen's style, which was characterized by a dramatic, theatrical, and romantic vision of landscapes and cityscapes (strongly influenced by French Romanticism). In total, the King owned six paintings by Wijnand Nuijen in his collection.
The modern paintings from William II's collection, including the works by Wijnand Nuijen, hung primarily in his private quarters (such as the White Room) for enjoyment in private.
After the death of King William II in 1849, his famous art collection was largely auctioned off in 1850, causing his paintings to become dispersed throughout the world and into various museum collections (such as the Rijksmuseum).
1850 auction of the art collection of King William II
The works of Wijnand Nuyen from the auction/catalogue (1850) following the death of King William II
On Monday, August 12, 1850, at 10:00 AM, the auction of the collection of King William II, who had died on March 17 of the previous year, commenced. It lasted eight days and took place in the Gothic Hall of Kneuterdijk Palace, where the collection had been exhibited since 1842. The auctioneers were the prominent Amsterdam dealers Jeronimo de Vries, Cornelis François Roos, and Johannes Albertus Brondgeest.
Not only was an extensive catalogue published in French and Dutch, but large posters were also produced to announce the sale of the ‘considerable and highly famous collection’. The catalogue was available outside the Netherlands in London (including at Nieuwenhuys), Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, Leipzig, Vienna, Berlin, Bonn, and St. Petersburg.
After the auction, a ‘souvenir’ was issued containing the proceeds and the names of the buyers. The second auction of unsold works and many additions, primarily of contemporary paintings, was organized by the same auctioneers in the Gothic Hall starting September 9, 1851.
83. Le coup de canon / the cannonshot
Current title: Ships on the River / The Cannon Shot
88 x 116 cm (Canvas)
Yacht from which a cannon shot is fired; sailing ships in the background and an Amsterdam city view in the morning mist. In the foreground, a dike with fishing gear, figures, and ducks.
Sold to Baron van Brienen van de Groote Lindt (ƒ 4,500).
(Currently: Wallace Collection, London)
84. Le marché au poissons d'Anvers / A Fish market in Antwerp
68 x 88 cm (Panel)
On this beautiful canvas/composition, there is a crowd of figures, almost all engaged in selling or buying fish; in the foreground, a fisherman, dressed in a red coat, is talking to one of his companions standing at some distance in front of a wheelbarrow; in the background, a wall above which the mast of a ship is visible. This work, painted in the finest style of this late great artist, is full of harmony.
Sold to P.J. Landry in The Hague (ƒ 2,500).
85. Le déménagement en hiver / De verhuizing in de winter
Current Title: The Old Mill in Winter
112.5 x 91.5 cm (Canvas)
Stacking of furniture in front of an old house. People by a two-horse cart in a snowstorm.
Sold to Van de Wijnperse (f 2,050.-)
(Currently: Gemeentemuseum The Hague / Kunstmuseum, The Hague)
86. Marine / Seaview
57 x 63 cm (Canvas)
Wreck of a frigate off the coast; ship and shore full of people, dunes in the background.
A frigate without rigging appears to have dropped anchor on the coast. The ship and the coast are full of figures; dunes are visible in the background. This painting, with its beautiful color, is in every respect worthy of the hand of the excellent artist.
Sold to A. Lamme (ƒ 800).
87. Après le naufrage / After the shipwreck
Current title: Shipwreck on a Rocky Coast
149 x 200 cm (Canvas). Purchased in 1843
Powerful depiction of a coast strewn with wreckage. Sailors attempt to rescue shipwrecked sailors; there are also corpses.
Sold to A. Lamme, Rotterdam (ƒ 1,110).
(Currently: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)
88. Le même, et figures par N. de Keyser / The same, and figures by N. de Keyser
65 x 83 cm (Canvas)
A young man, holding a beautiful young woman in his arms, leans against a rock; the rising sea fills them with great fear; the young woman also seems to be entrusting her soul to God.
This painting is of fine craftsmanship, features brilliant colors, and is in every respect worthy of the two famous artists.
Sold to A.C. Konwens in The Hague (ƒ 350). Valuation ƒ 200