NRC Art, Jewellery & Bags
Adams is pleased to announce its summer auction: NRC Art, Jewellery and Bags! With a stunning array of over 300 lots, this sale showcases a rich diversity of artworks, spanning from pieces that are completely fresh to the market, such as the monumental Institute III by William Monk, to the atmospheric winter landscape by one of the established Dutch Romantics, Adrianus Eversen.
The auction includes a few outstanding works such as a sketch by Willem de Kooning, a landscape painting by Ferdinand Hart Nibbrig and a bronze sculpture by Ossip Zadkine. Other exceptional pieces include two mixed media works by Bram Bogart one from 1954 and the other from 1970, two large screenprints by Robert Longo from the Men in the Cities series, and a t-shirt with a hand-made drawing by Keith Haring. Photography enthusiasts will find a captivating selection of works by artists such as Margriet Smulders, Ruud van Empel, Erwin Olaf, Vivianne Sassen, Massimo Vitali, and Hiroshi Sugimoto. Fashion and jewellery lovers alike will be enchanted by a curated selection of luxury items from celebrated designers including Hermès, Chanel, and Cartier. The auction also features an exquisite array of rare vintage eye-catchers.
The auction features six works by JCJ Vanderheyden who in his art explores how we perceive the world, using recurring motifs such as the horizon and the checkerboard. The seemingly simple forms are a profound examination of our perception of time and space. In Long Horizon (2009), the horizon is tilted and fragmented, reflecting the idea that perception is never neutral. The small checkerboard painting from 2004, depicts space and time as cyclical. With repetition and patterns, Vanderheyden seeks to reveal the hidden structures that shape our way of seeing, such as context and memory.
The absolute highlight of the sale is a sketch by Willem de Kooning from the 1950s, part of the series that laid the foundation for his iconic Women paintings. These spontaneous drawings—often on torn notepad sheets—feature abstract forms that evoke the female figure, with eyes, mouth, hair, and breasts emerging from sharp lines. They reveal the dynamic simplicity that defined his process and shaped his later work.
The sale includes several works by CoBrA artists, including a relief from 1976 and a painting from 1977 by Karel Appel, a 1960 watercolour by Corneille, several drawings by Lucebert, the 1979 portfolio Plaisir et tristesse de l'amour by Constant, and a few gouaches by Eugène Brands. Members of the Zero movement—known in the Netherlands as the Nul-groep—are also featured. Two original ink drawings by Jan Schoonhoven from 1965 and 1975, a charcoal drawing titled is by herman de vries, four works by Armando including the 1987 painting Gefechtsfeld, and a selection of pieces by Henk Peeters will also go under the hammer.
Another exceptional piece is the unique druksel by H.N. Werkman – Mannenkop met achtergrond in geel en groen. This particular portrait belongs to a series made between June and July 1943, marking a shift toward more realistic depictions in Werkman’s oeuvre, moving away from the typographic Koppenserie of 1941. The artist was certainly happy with the result, as he expressed interest in creating larger versions of these portraits—which, however, were never completed.
The Dutch art of the 19th century is represented by artists such as Adrianus Eversen and Johannes Franciscus Spohler. Moving into the early 20th century, a clear highlight of the auction is the pointillist painting of Vlieland by Ferdinand Hart Nibbrig. This enchanting painting captures the island from a high vantage point close to the lighthouse, with dune grasses waving in the wind on a warm summer day. With a blue sky overhead and a calm sea in the background, the small village rests between the water, trees, fields, grassland, and the dunes to the right.
Don’t miss this opportunity to discover unique art, jewellery, and bags—browse the catalogue now and don’t forget to attend our viewing days in Amsterdam!
Viewing Days:
- Friday 27-29 June, 10:00-17:00
Auction:
- Art: Monday 30 June, 19:30 (live + online)
- Art: Tuesday 1 July, 13:00 (online)
- Jewellery & Bags: Tuesday 1 July, 16:00 (online)
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