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A DUTCH PRIVATE COLLECTION ACQUIRED UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF H.P. BREMMER H.P. Bremmer was one of the most influential figures in the Dutch art world during the first half of the twentieth century. Through his unconvential approach, lectures about art-appreciation and numerous publications, he succeeded in winning a large audience for modern art. Contrary to the accepted art historical views of that time, Bremmer wanted to teach people to approach art with a critical eye. He explained that the subject matter of a work of art is not the most important and that one should concentrate on the way in which the artist has given shape to his thoughts and observations. For him the quality of a work of art was enclosed in immediate power of expression of the artist. Hence true art leaves easy realism behind and becomes transformed through the artist's emotions. Bremmer was an eloquent teacher and not only was he able to arise enthousiasm among his audience for art, but he also stimulated them to start collecting themselves. The following collection of works by J. Mendes da Costa and J.C. Altorf, usually referred to as a Bremmer collection, is a typical and succesful result of his efforts. Around 1907-1908 H.P. Bremmer, who was a great admirer of Mendes da Costa, asked the artist to make a limited edition of twelve bronze figures of great men in the history of philosophy, theology, art and literature. Mendes da Costa accepted the commission, but in the end realised only four figures: Vincent van Gogh (1908), Spinoza (1909), Jan Steen (1911) and St. Francis of Assisi (1911) (see lots 149-152). He spent much time studying the works and the writings of these persons, as an example on the Van Gogh sculpture will show. To Bremmer he wrote: "Ik zal trachten te maken den eind indruk die ik kreeg na het lezen van dit stuk leeven, namelijk het moment van uiterste inspanning gedurende de arbeid, de snik en bede 'O, God, mag't.' Ik voel dit moment door Van Gogh's heele leven doch in het bijzonder als schilder. Ik hoop dat 't mij gelukken mag, in deze barre tijden dit moment in een poppetje te geven" (I shall try to create the final impression I had after reading this slice of life, in fact the moment of utter exertion during the labor, the gasp and prayer "Oh God, may it happen". I feel this moment throughout Van Gogh's whole life, but mostly as a painter. I hope, that I in these barren times, may succeed to recreate this momentum in a little doll (letter of the artist to H.P. Bremmer, 19 September 1914, Gemeente Archief, The Hague)

Joseph Mendes da Costa (1863-1939)

Vincent van Gogh - Mijn god mag het

Details

Joseph Mendes da Costa (1863-1939)
Vincent van Gogh - Mijn god mag het
signed with monogram, inscribed with title and with foundry mark 'fonderie natle des bronzes/ancne firme J. Petermann/St Gilles-Bruxelles' (on the reverse of the base)
bronze
40 cm. high (incl. bronze base)
Conceived circa 1908 and cast in an edition of circa twelve.

Provenance

Acquired from H.P. Bremmer by the previous owners.

Literature

F.M. Huebner, Nieuwe Hollandsche beeldhouwers, Amsterdam 1922 (ill. of another cast)
Beeldende Kunst, X (1923) Vol. 10, no. 77 (ill. of another cast) Wendingen, Maandblad voor Bouwen en sieren van architectura et amicitiae, V (1923), no. 5 and 6, p. 7 (ill. of another cast)
A.M. Hammacher, Mendes da Costa. De geestlijke boodschap der beeldhouwkunst, Rotterdam 1941, p. 43-45, no. 31 (ill. of another cast)
A.M. Hammacher, Beeldhouwkunst van deze eeuw en een schets van haar ontwikkeling in de negentiende eeuw, Amsterdam 1955, no. 29 and 30 (ill. of another cast)
Th. van Reijn, Nederlandsche beeldhouwers van deze tijd, Amsterdam/Brussels 1959, p. 99 (ill. of another cast)
Evert van Uitert, "De legende vorming te bevorderen: Vincent van Goghmythe", in: Rond de roem van Vincent van Gogh, Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh; 1977, p. 22 (ill. of another cast)
F. de Miranda, Mendes da Costa, Jessurun de Mesquita, Wassenaar 1978, p. 92, no 45 (ll. of another cast)
Kunstschrift XLI (1997), no. 1 (Joseph Mendes da Costa special), p. 24 (ill. of another cast in H.P. Bremmers interior), p. 25 (in Rudolf Bremmer's portrait of his father H.P. Bremmer), p. 32, no. 45 (ill. of another cast), p. 34 (ill. of another cast)

Exhibited

Zwolle, Stichting Hopmanshuis, Herleving Nederlanse Beeldhouwkunst van 1890-1920, 20 October - 11 November 1956, cat.no. 35 (another cast)
Haarlem, Frans Hals Museum, Er groeit een beeldhouwkunst in Nederland, 15 October 1994 - 15 January 1995 (ill. of another cast in catalogue on p. 105)

Special notice

Christie's charges a Buyer's premium calculated at 23.205% of the hammer price for each lot with a value up to €110,000. If the hammer price of a lot exceeds €110,000 then the premium for the lot is calculated at 23.205% of the first €110,000 plus 11.9% of any amount in excess of €110,000. Buyer's Premium is calculated on this basis for each lot individually.

Lot Essay

Other casts can be found in the collections of the Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller, Otterlo; Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh, Amsterdam; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; and Stichting Hannema-De Stuers, Heino.

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