About Rob Kattenburg
Art dealer and expert for 50 years, specializing in marine art
For fifty years, our company has devoted itself to the trade in old master maritime art with an exquisite selection of paintings, drawings and prints by seventeenth-, eighteenth- and nineteenth-century masters up to Impressionism. The specialism includes mainly Dutch and Flemish paintings, drawings and prints from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries with shipping and cartography as subjects. Gallery Rob Kattenburg is approached by private collectors and museums when it comes to purchasing maritime art. Due to the extensive knowledge and interest in our maritime history, Rob Kattenburg has been a source of enquiry for museum curators, major collectors and collectors for decades and occupies a unique place in the international art trade. For several years now, Rob Kattenburg has been collaborating with Saskia, his daughter, who is a talented writer and art historian.
The ever-changing collection includes paintings, drawings and prints by great masters such as Willem van de Velde and Ludolf Backhuysen alongside often surprisingly beautiful works by maritime artists who worked in the shadow of celebrities and yet developed their own style. These smaller masters can approach the big names in quality and maritime-historical importance. The interesting thing about the latter group is that they are often extremely reasonable priced. Maritime prints are also a standard part of our collection, in addition to a modest selection of ship’s antiques and cartography.
Starting in 1978 Rob Kattenburg took part in the legendary Delft Art and Antiques Fair, followed by TEFAF in Maastricht and PAN, the Dutch art and antiques fair in Amsterdam. Gallery Rob Kattenburg also took part in fairs and exhibitions in Europe and the United States.
In the previous period, we have been able to realise approx. 20 sales to the Scheepvaartmuseum in Amsterdam and many important museums at home and abroad including the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the National Gallery in Washington, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, etc.
Gallery Rob Kattenburg decided to stop participating in fairs such as the Pan Amsterdam and Tefaf in Maastricht. Even though there were no fairs in 2021 either, 2021 turned out to be the best year ever for us. In 2021, we successfully sold two important marine paintings and a drawing, by Willem van de Velde the Younger and an exceptionally fine panel painted by Cornelis Verbeeck.
From 2021, we have been able to devote much more time to purchasing and therefore it is still possible to make discoveries and there is time to do research. We no longer buy standard stock but concentrate only on a few key acquisitions. There is, at the present, also more time to advise collectors on building up their collections and guide any acquisitions of a maritime work of art.
Photo Rob Kattenburg in his private library
Background
As a schoolboy Rob Kattenburg was already showing a great interest in the glorious history of the Netherlands. He bought prints from the stalls in the Waterlooplein flea market with his pocket money and he occasionally made amazing finds. He purchased a fine etching by Goya for 25 cents and had to fork out a whole 10 cents for an etching by Reinier Nooms called Zeeman. In the main his fascination was the Netherlands’ maritime past. He haunted museums and read every book he could lay his hands on about the Dutch East India Company and the great voyages of discovery, and he learnt everything he could about the ships of the glorious days of sail. As was only to be expected, he was fascinated by the paintings of the Dutch Golden Age in which these vessels are depicted, and it was almost inevitable that he would make a profession out of his hobby. He started with prints and maps, adding paintings and drawings later. This was in the days when paintings were comparatively cheap and there were a lot on offer. An excellent start for an aspiring art dealer. Gallery Rob Kattenburg is the only international art dealer specializing in Dutch and Flemish Old Master maritime art.
The saying ‘unknown, unloved’ certainly applies to these tonal paintings pioneered by Jan Porcellis. Never before were seas and rivers depicted in such a lifelike fashion. Magnificent, sometimes menacing skies above an angry sea, with one or more ships, make an overwhelming impression. They are archetypal Dutch paintings that one can go on looking at and enjoying. We would rather have a storm by a minor marine painter such as Pieter Mulier (1610-1670) for around € 50,000 than a ‘good’ early Van de Velde or Jan van de Cappelle for anything from two to ten million euros. Anyone who takes the trouble to get to know this still undervalued ‘Grey School’ will not be disappointed.
Purchase
As you will understand, we consider it a challenge to present high-lights, originating from private collections at home and abroad. After all, the element of surprise lies in the unknown, the unexpected. Your offer could mean the missing link in a long search for lost, misplaced or forgotten works of art. In this context, we recall the acquisition by Gallery Rob Kattenburg in recent years of a total of 9 original artworks by Willem van the Velde the Elder and the Younger. However, paintings by other renowned masters also enjoy our interest.
Gallery Rob Kattenburg gives you the opportunity to offer privately owned works of art at attractive conditions. If you are considering a sale, trade-in or consignment, please do not hesitate to contact our office. Compared to selling through an art auction, there is a saving of 30-40% auction costs (two-sided) and you may realise the most favourable net price based on a market-based valuation without long waiting times. Also …..
Compare: the “low, safe” limits currently applied by the auction houses. No selling or holding costs are charged to the contributor.
Insurance costs are borne by Rob Kattenburg Gallery. Through its own exhibitions and past participation in international art fairs, Gallery Rob Kattenburg has a direct reach of at least 50,000 art lovers a year! In addition, the art gallery uses advanced communication techniques to bring supply and demand together internationally.
For expert advice, you can summon Gallery Rob Kattenburg in and outside the Netherlands.
The Costs When Buying, Selling or Giving in Commission
Let’s start with the auction sale. The auction only mediates between the seller (the consignor) and the buying party. The vendors are (generally) charged around 10% and the buying party ca. 30 % of the hammer price. For example: If an auction item sells for € 100.000,- (ie. the hammer price), the vendors will receive approximately € 90.000 and the buyer pays € 100.000 + € 30.000,- (surcharge). A total amount of € 130.000,-. The auction house profits approximately € 40.000,-. In other words, one third goes to the auction house.
From specialized art dealers, you can expect an expert purchasing advice, an appropriate price and, of course, a guarantee. Private individuals who want to sell and give the commission to Gallery Rob Kattenburg only pay 20 %.
Personal Advice About Buying From Rob Kattenburg
Far too often, established and new collectors are tempted by well-known names like Ludolf Backhuysen when they are contemplating a purchase. The fact that even the great masters occasionally produced work of inferior quality is often overlooked. Not to mention the attribution—is the painting really by the master in question? And last but not least, there is the question of the condition of the work. You have to keep your wits about you, particularly if the asking price is low. Don’t forget that a painting by a well-known artist such as Willem van de Velde or Ludolf Backhuysen, which is excellent in all respects is usually expensive. A supposedly cheap purchase can sometimes prove to be a huge disappointment. Financially too.
We have been advising on purchasing marine art for forty years, and our advice has remained the same throughout that time: when you buy, put quality first. The ‘minor masters’ sometimes made paintings of extremely high artistic quality that can compete with many a work by a great master. And the price of a quality painting like this is many, many times lower than what one would have to pay for mediocre work by a big name.
The 'Grey School'
The saying ‘unknown, unloved’ certainly applies to these tonal paintings pioneered by Jan Porcellis. Never before were seas and rivers depicted in such a lifelike fashion. Magnificent, sometimes menacing skies above an angry sea, with one or more ships, make an overwhelming impression. They are archetypal Dutch paintings that one can go on looking at and enjoying. We would rather have a storm by a minor marine painter such as Pieter Mulier (1610-1670) for around € 50,000 than a ‘good’ early Van de Velde or Jan van de Cappelle for anything from two to ten million euros. Anyone who takes the trouble to get to know this still undervalued ‘Grey School’ will not be disappointed.
Where to Buy
It is an open market. Obviously, paintings are offered in the art trade and you can go to sales too. If you decide on a general art dealer or a specialist like Gallery Rob Kattenburg you can expect to get expert advice, pay an appropriate price and get a guarantee. And naturally you’ll get service.
If you prefer to go to a sale then you need to have done your homework. Buying on impulse carries a huge risk. Here’s just one example of the pitfalls: in our archives we have catalogued and researched all of the paintings by Backhuysen that were offered in sales in the last fifty years.
The result is surprising. More than half of the paintings offered at auction as by Backhuysen proved NOT to have been by the painter himself. In almost all cases they were studio works or by painters ‘in the style of’ like Aernout Smit, Wigerus Vitringa and Jan Claesz. Rietschoof. The buyers certainly didn’t get what they paid for.
The Costs When Buying, Selling or Giving on Commission
Let’s start with the auction sale. On the sale of a painting the auction house often charges the buyer as much as 24.8% on the hammer price (up to € 400,000). The seller has to pay 10% in costs as well. In other words, one third goes to the auction house. Private individuals who want to sell and give the commission to Gallery Rob Kattenburg only pay 20%.
The auction is basically no legal owner. The auction only mediates between the seller (the consignor) and the buying party. The vendors are (generally) charged around 10% and the buying party 29.75% of the hammer price. For example: If an auction item sells for € 1,500,000 (ie the hammer price), the vendors will receive approximately € 1,200,000 and the buyer pays € 1,500,000 + 29.75% (surcharge). A total amount of € 1,946,250. The auction house profits approximately € 746,250.
If we sell the painting for you for a price of € 1,950,000, then we charge you 20% commission fee and 21% VAT, so you will receive approximately € 1,600,000!