Goudstikker paintings to auction on display

Thirty-two pieces of the so-called Goudstikker art collection have been placed on display at Christie’s in Amsterdam.

The paintings, to be displayed until 17 March are the first among the 202 pieces to be auctioned following their return to the Goudstikker heirs by the Dutch government in February 2006. . .

The pieces will be sold in London on July 5 and Amsterdam on November 14. According to Christie’s, it is a selection of “just a few among the most special items in the collection.”

The news comes just days after the Dutch government announced it had re-purchased five paintings from the Goudstikker collection.

In addition, the Goudstikker heirs decided to donate one painting to one Dutch museum. The family is also preparing a special exhibition, that will travel around the world, to enable the international public to see the collection by itself.

From the European Jewish Press, which also notes:

It was not certain in recent weeks whether or not the Goudstikker heirs could actually get hold of the paintings returned to them last year.

A disagreement erupted between them and the lawyers who represented them, with the lawyers demanding 12 million euros, instead of the 1,3 million the Marei von Saher, daughter-in-law of Goudstikker, offered.

One of her former lawyers, Roelof van Holthe tot Echten, threatened to confiscate all paintings until the disagreement had been settled. This made Von Saher and her daughters – granddaughters of Goudstikker – take their former lawyer to court, which decided that the Goudstikker heirs be allowed to sell some of the paintings, in order to settle the payment of their former lawyers.

Previous articles on the returned works here and here. The International Herald Tribune reported in more detail on the dispute over legal fees:

A lawyer's fee of €12 million (US$15.7 million) for negotiating the return of art stolen by the Nazis was too high, a court ruled Friday. . .

Goudstikker's daughter-in-law Marei von Saher and his granddaughters Charlene and Chantal von Saher, who live in Connecticut, refused, offering to pay an hourly rate instead.

The Hague District Court . . . awarded Van Holthe tot Echten at least €1.9 million (US$2.5 million), or €325 (US$425) per hour, but suggested that amount should be quadrupled to €7.6 million (US$10 million) to reflect the risk the lawyer took in working on the case for so long with uncertain prospects for payment. . .

The ruling opens the question of what the Goudstikker heirs will be left with in the end. Evidence cited in the ruling suggested another Dutch lawyer might seek up to 20 percent of the value of the collection, U.S. lawyers another 10 percent, and a U.S. art historian who helped research the case yet another 10 percent.

Christie's estimated the collection, which includes masterpieces by Jan Steen and Salomon van Ruysdael, is worth from US$79 million-US$110 million (€56 million-€84 million).

Posted by David on March 14, 2007 1:16 PM