THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN. OTTO EERELMAN (Dutch, 1839-1926). Portrait of a Bouvier de Flandres Dog from the Le Fevre d...

Description

THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN

OTTO EERELMAN (Dutch, 1839-1926)
Portrait of a Bouvier de Flandres Dog from the Le Fevre de Montigny Family, by 1907
Watercolor, colored chalks, and gouache on paper
17-3/4 x 13-1/2 inches (45.1 x 34.3 cm)
Signed lower left: O. Eerelman

PROVENANCE:
Gillis Johannis Le Fevre de Montigny (1837-1907), Mayor of Hillegersberg (now a part of Rotterdam) from 1864 to 1869, who commissioned the portrait of his dog from the artist, and thence by descent to his great nephew;
General Gillis Johannis Le Fevre de Montigny (born Amsterdam 1901 - died The Hague 1980), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Netherlands, thence by descent to his son;
Captain Chris Le Fevre de Montigny, Houston, Texas.

The current owner's distinguished great-great uncle commissioned this portrait of his dog from the Dutch artist, Otto Eerelman, a specialist in dog and horse painting, who also painted portraits of humans, although today they are less prized than his remarkable animal likenesses. The present portrait of a Bouvier de Flandres is lifesize, which imparts a truly arresting quality to the image. The dog's eyes are virtually the same size as a human's.

The painting has descended for more than a century in the Le Fevre de Montigny family of Holland. The original gilt wood frame housing this watercolor was made by the notable framemaking firm of A. J. Heydenryk, which is still in business today. At the time this painting was framed, Heydenryk had shops both in Amsterdam and The Hague, before expanding internationally.





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