Venduehuis der Notarissen

About Venduehuis der Notarissen

Venduehuis der Notarissen, also known as Venduehuis Den Haag, is the oldest auction house in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1811 by the notaries of The Hague and is still owned by the Vereniging der Notarissen te 's-Gravenhage, the local association of notaries. It describes itself as the only auction house in the Netherlands still owned by local notaries.

The house sells fine art, antiques, jewellery, watches, design and real estate, and runs both live saleroom auctions and online-only sales. It reports a team of 27 specialists across 12 art departments, with bidders from more than 65 countries taking part in its live and online auctions.

History

The Venduehuis was created after the Netherlands was incorporated into the French Empire in 1811. Under the new French legal system, public sales had to take place under the supervision of a notary, and the notaries of The Hague were the first in the country to set up a joint auction house for that purpose. According to the house, 69 notaries met in May 1811 to draw up rules for auctioning movable and immovable goods.

The first auction was held in January 1812 from the building on Nobelstraat, where the house is still based. The building was previously the official residence of a Hague burgomaster, and Nobelstraat 5 is a listed national monument. From 1925 until a renovation of the building in 1993, many sales were held at Pulchri Studio because the Nobelstraat premises had become too small.

• 1811: founded by the notaries of The Hague under French law
• 1812: first auction held at Nobelstraat
• 1881: Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring sold here for 2.30 guilders; it is now in the Mauritshuis
• 2017: a shipping container painted by Keith Haring sold in the after-sale for well over one million euros
• 2018: a second location opened at Oder 18 in the Forepark business district of The Hague

What they sell

The house covers a broad range of fine and decorative art. Its 2018 press release listed departments for ceramics, jewellery, silver, books, prints, Asian art, paintings, glass, furniture, sculpture, gold and watches. Current sale titles include Post-War and Contemporary Art, and Jewellery, Watches and Luxury.

• Old master, 19th-century, modern and contemporary paintings
• Gold and silver, jewellery and watches
• European and Asian ceramics and porcelain
• Antique furniture, glass and sculpture
• Books and prints
• Real estate, a traditional notarial activity

In its October 2023 Post-War and Contemporary Art sale, the top lot was Emily Kame Kngwarreye's Anooralya Awelye at a hammer price of 112,000 euros, and the sale total came to nearly 1.7 million euros including premium.

Selling

Sellers can request a valuation online with photographs or by appointment with a specialist. The house then advises on an estimated auction value, handles photography, cataloguing and viewing days, and offers the lot in a live or online sale. A reserve can be agreed for lots with an estimated value of 500 euros or more.

• Seller commission: 20% up to 15,000 euros and 12% above 15,000 euros
• Vendue Next Door (online sales): 18 euros per sold lot
• A flexible commission is negotiable under certain conditions

Buying and bidding

Buyers can bid in the saleroom, in writing, by telephone or online through the house's own bidding platform, and through third-party platforms. The buyer's premium is 30% of the hammer price up to 100,000 euros and 24% on the amount above that.

• Additional surcharge when bidding via Invaluable: 5%; via Drouot: 3%
• Artist's resale right applies from 3,000 euros, on a sliding scale from 4% to 0.25%, capped at 12,500 euros
• The standard bidding limit is 15,000 euros; higher limits must be requested in writing with a copy of ID before the sale

Vendue Next Door is the house's online-only format, alongside its catalogued live auctions.

Location

The main premises are at Nobelstraat 5 in the historic centre of The Hague, the same street where the house held its first auction in 1812. A second location at Oder 18 in the Forepark area of The Hague opened in 2018.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Venduehuis der Notarissen?

It was founded in 1811 by the notaries of The Hague and held its first auction in January 1812, which makes it the oldest auction house in the Netherlands.

What is the buyer's premium at Venduehuis der Notarissen?

The premium is 30% of the hammer price up to 100,000 euros and 24% above that. Bidding through Invaluable adds 5% and bidding through Drouot adds 3%.

Did Venduehuis der Notarissen sell the Girl with a Pearl Earring?

Yes. Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring was sold at the Venduehuis in 1881 for 2.30 guilders and was later bequeathed to the Mauritshuis.