Douwes Fine Art (since 1770)

The oldest single-family art dealing business worldwide based in Amsterdam. Founded in the mid-18th century as a restoration workshop, an expertise that is still part of the company. Amongst their services are: valuation for insurance and probate, art lectures and slide-presentations, client-advice on purchases and sales. The Douwes tradition started with a restoration workshop as early as the 1760's, because already in the fashionable Amsterdam of the second half of the 18th century, the Douwes forebears tried to meet the desire of those that wanted the beautiful ceilings of their imposing canal houses painted and restored. However, according to the official regulartions of the St. Lucas guild, abolished shortly after in 1808, the Douwes family prefer to start counting from their entry as an independently registered business on September 5th, 1805. Today, the firm still belongs to the same family, and has been passed on from father to son for many generations. The present owners of Douwes Fine Art are in effect the seventh and eights generation.