Lot 689: Putti wrestling; a grisaille

Follower of Jacob de Wit
Putti wrestling; a grisaille
oil on panel
23.2 x 19.1 cm.

THE PROPERTY OF MR. GUSTAAF HAMBURGER (LOTS 689-708)

Gustaaf Hamburger was born on October 29, 1887, as the third child of five, into a modest family. The father, Alexander, was one of eight brothers, and married a German woman from Frankfurt. Their financial situation was quite precarious for there was barely enough food on the table.

In spite of their limited resources, both Gustaaf and his youngest brother managed to go to University where Gustaaf studied law and obtained his Ph.D. Gustaaf went into Banking and eventually established his own Private Bank "Hamburger & Co's Bankierskantoor" in Amsterdam which flourished until the outbreak of the second world war.

His interest in, and later his connoisseurship, of fine arts must have been instilled in him early on by several of his uncles, who lived in Paris and founded around 1900 "Hamburger Frres Antiquits" with addresses in Paris, at 362 Rue St. Honors (Place Verdme), and in Amsterdam at Heerengracht 551, a business that lasted until the beginning of the second world war.

With the help and support of the uncles and other antiquaries, such as Nystad, Goudstikker, et al., Gustaaf and his wife Clara Hamburger-Gerzon began collecting old masters' paintings as well as ancient Chinese, Italian and Dutch porcelain, eventually creating an extremely important collection in that field. Another interest manifested itself in old silver, especially of the Dutch School.

When Gustaaf and Clara Hamburger moved to the United States in 1940 they continued collecting and many purchases were made at auctions at Parke Bernet in New York or from private collectors.

After the war, Mr. and Mrs. Hamburger returned to Holland every Summer and continued buying occasional works of art.

Finally, in 1971 they decided to emigrate to Geneva, Switzerland, to be near their daughter, bringing their entire collection with them. Mr. Hamburger died in 1977 and Mrs. Hamburger passed away in September 2007 at the age of 107, which explains the sale of part of the total collection.
'' ! '' Lots Imported from outside the EU. The buyer's premium is 37.05% incl. VAT over the first €20,000, plus 31.1% incl. VAT of the hammer price between €20,001 and €700.000, plus 21.58% incl. VAT of any amount in excess of €700,001.