Louisa Holthuysen

Sandrina Louisa Geertruida Holthuysen (1824 – 1895) was a Dutch art collector and founder of the Museum Willet-Holthuysen in Amsterdam.

Louisa Holthuysen
Miniature portrait of Louisa Holthuysen with her Maltese lion dog, c. 1840-1860
Born28 November 1824
Amsterdam
Died30 January 1895
Amsterdam
NationalityKingdom of the Netherlands

Biography

Holthuysen was born in Amsterdam in the Netherlands as the only child of Pieter Gerard Holthuysen, a wealthy merchant who dealt in window glass and coal. Her father died in 1858 and in 1861 she married Abraham Willet and they proceeded to live a bohemian lifestyle, enjoying travel and art collecting. The art collection included items bought by her, of which the most expensive painting was a still-life by Blaise Alexandre Desgoffe that cost 5,000 guilders.[1]

Holthuysen died childless in Amsterdam in 1895, a few years after her husband. Her house and its contents, including the artworks, were left to the City of Amsterdam, conditional upon the building being used as a museum named after her and her husband.[1]

  • Still-life by Blaise-Alexandre Desgoffe
    Still-life by Blaise-Alexandre Desgoffe
  • The parlour of the Willet-Holthuysens in their summer villa in Le Vésinet, by Coen Metzelaar
    The parlour of the Willet-Holthuysens in their summer villa in Le Vésinet, by Coen Metzelaar
  • A Young Mother in the costume of the Campagna by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
    A Young Mother in the costume of the Campagna by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
  • Louise Holthuysen, ca. 1864
    Louise Holthuysen, ca. 1864
  • The parlour of the A. Willet-Holthuysen house, Herengracht 605, by Willem Steelink Jr., 1882
    The parlour of the A. Willet-Holthuysen house, Herengracht 605, by Willem Steelink Jr., 1882

References
  1. "Louisa Holthuysen". Museum Willet-Holthuysen. Retrieved 2017-02-22.

Further reading
  • vam Eeghen, I. H. (1952). "1952 MAANDBLAD JAARGANG 39" (PDF). Maandblad Amstelodammum (in Dutch). Het museum Willet-Holthuysen (39): 81–86. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-17. Retrieved 2017-02-22.


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