AMSTERDAM.- Christie’s Amsterdam announced the auction of a European Corporate Collection on 4 December 2012, which will include a beautiful array of Impressionist and Modern paintings, watercolours and sculptures. Comprising approximately 100 works, this corporate collection was carefully and passionately construed over 25 years and provides a rich understanding of Dutch art history from 1880 to 1950. The entire collection is expected to realize in excess of € 1 million.

The Dutch Impressionists of the collection are exemplified by Isaac Israels, George Hendrik Breitner and Hendrik Jan Wolter. Further highlights include works by orientalist painter Marius Bauer, a museum piece from the Magic Realism period: Het Signaal (The Signal) by Pyke Koch (€150,000-200,000), two works by Wim Schuhmacher including a portrait of the Amsterdam canal House with the Heads (€15,000-20,000) as well as a rare abstract painting from 1924 by Carel Willink. The Modernist section of the sale is led by an early Piet Mondriaan, Farm at Het Gein, circa 1906 (€50,000-70,000) and paintings by Jan Sluijters and Leo Gestel from 1906-1907. The collection also includes a CoBrA work on paper from 1949 by Karel Appel, Child and Birds (€30,000-50,000), a large stone sculpture by Romanian-Canadian sculptor Sorel Ertrog: Sunbird II (€20,000-30,000) and bronze sculptures by Pieter d’Hont, Fons Bemelmans, Han Wezelaar, Kees Verkade and Fred Carasso.

Two beautiful paintings by Parisian-Dutch artist Kees van Dongen lend international ardour to the collection. In 1904-1908, Van Dongen painted Le Maillot Blanc (€150,000-200,000) which found its way to the present collection through the pre-war art galleries Kahnweiler and Bernheim Jeune. This impressive painting was displayed in numerous international exhibitions dedicated to Kees Van Dongen (1908 and 1911 at the Galerie Bernheim Jeune and in 1972 in the Grand Palais in Paris.)

Also offered at auction, the equally stellar colourful and cheerful composition Cannes sous la Pluie which Van Dongen painted in the early 1920s (€100,000-150,000).

Furthermore, a strong selection of Frisian post-war artists includes works by Gerrit Benner (€18,000-25,000), Jeanne Bieruma Oosting, Tames Oud (€1,000-1,500) and Willem van Althuis.