Value and quotation of old paintings - Schools of the United Provinces

If you own a painting by a school of the United Provinces, and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will offer you their appraisal services. Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your object, and provide you with a precise estimate of its current market value. Then, if you wish to sell your painting, we'll guide you towards the best possible means of obtaining the best possible price. The price of a painting can vary greatly, depending on the artist, the state of conservation, the school of painting and the subject depicted.

Rating and value of a painting from a Northern Netherlandish school

Paintings from the Northern Netherlands (United Provinces) are often featured at auction. The price at which they sell on the art and auction market ranges from €10 to €29,619,000, a considerable delta but one that says a lot about the value that can be attributed to your paintings. In 2023, the oil on canvas Unequal lovers by Hendrick Ter Brugghen sold for €477,050.

Order of value from simplest to most prestigious painting

Reasons to have an old Northern School painting appraised at auction

If you own an old painting by a Northern school, you may not be aware of its value. Indeed, even if the painting is not signed, it is possible in some cases to identify the artist. If it's listed on the auction market, then the price could rise very quickly. It is also possible that the artist is not identifiable, and that only the school of the painting is known.

A look back at the history of the United Provinces and its artists 

The United Provinces were recognized by Spain in 1658, after the Thirty Years' War and the Ghent revolt. This geographical region includes the cities of Haarlem, Antwerp, Utrecht and Amsterdam. Pictorial trends differed from city to city. Artists don't necessarily use the same techniques, although some rub shoulders and exchange ideas. Here's a short introduction to these different schools, so you can learn more about your paintings.

The Haarlem and Antwerp schools

In Haarlem, an Academy was founded at the end of the 16th century by Carel van Mander, a painter, and Hendrick Goltius, who had made a name for himself in engraving and modernized the technique. They traveled to Florence and Rome and immersed themselves in Mannerism. They were inspired by Vasari's Academy and that of Saint Luke in Rome. Cornelis van Haarlem was also a member, and helped bring a Mannerist influence (use of pastel colors, elongation and disproportion of bodies, blurred contours) to the United Provinces.

Mannerism was also in vogue at the Antwerp school, associated with late Gothism. The paintings are therefore somewhat different. The school's most representative artist is Jan Steen, but we can also cite Quentin Metsys and Joachim Patinier. After the iconoclastic revolt, mythological subjects and genre scenes made a strong comeback.

The Utrecht School

The Utrecht School is characterized by Caravaggism. It is also known as the Utrecht Caravaggesque School. With three main artists: Hendrick Ter Brugghen, Gerrit van Hontorst and Dirk van Barburen, the school imported Caravaggism to the United Provinces. They traveled to Italy when Caravaggio was still alive, but never met him. They did, however, observe his works, understood his technique and made sketches to take back to the Netherlands. They took up the same subjects (cf. The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, Brugghen / Caravaggio), whether religious or secular, and the same pictorial techniques: chiaroscuro, regular use of red, the same treatment of bodies, and the same provocative depiction of subjects (cf. The Death of the Virgin or Judith Beheading Holofernes). They are highly appreciated today, as they enable collectors to find works in the spirit of Caravaggio.

Amsterdam and the golden age of Dutch painting

The Amsterdam Academy represented the golden age of Dutch painting. In the 17th century, artists emerged in Amsterdam and their works were highly appreciated. Naturally, the artist most representative of this golden age is Rembrandt. However, there were also lesser-known artists such as Adam van Breen and Hendrick van Averkamp. They produced history paintings, ironic paintings and portraits. The Doulen, the officer's palace in Amsterdam, commissioned many individual and group portraits from its painters. The subjects are rather profane and sometimes even incomprehensible, like La Ronde de Nuit. This work proves that the subject does not determine the value of the work. These artists used a lot of black, not only for the backgrounds but also for the clothes of the people they portrayed, as it was a symbol of wealth at the time.

Signing paintings

Many paintings from the schools of the United Provinces are unsigned, and sometimes there is no inscription on the back. Here are two examples.

Find out the exact value of your painting

If you happen to own an antique painting by a school of the United Provinces, or if you think you might, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using the form on our website. A member of our team of experts and chartered auctioneers will contact you promptly with an estimate of your painting's market value, and will provide you with all the relevant information. If you wish to sell your product, you will also be accompanied by our specialists in order to benefit from alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account market inclinations.