Pier Terwen appointed ambassador of Venduehuis Auctioneers The Hague
Venduehuis Auctioneers The Hague has appointed Pier Terwen as ambassador of the auction house. Pier Terwen is a connoisseur whose career has been devoted to art, craftsmanship and the care of the past. As an art historian and conservator, he enjoys international renown in the field of ceramics and stone sculpture, expertise he has built up over five decades.
Terwen grew up among display cabinets and works of art. Both his parents were art historians, as was his grandmother, and his great-grandfather was an art critic. From an early age, he became familiar with objects and the stories they carry. From 1974 he worked at the Central Laboratory for Research on Objects of Art and Science in Amsterdam, the cradle of Dutch conservation science. In 1978 he was appointed conservator of ceramics, glass and stone sculpture in the Department of Sculpture and Applied Arts at the Rijksmuseum. Since 1988 he has worked as an independent conservation adviser based in Leiden. He has also served as a consultant to several American collectors of Dutch art.
His name is linked to some of the most important funerary monuments in the Netherlands, including the tomb of William of Orange in the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, where he led the research into the results of its large-scale restoration. He also acted as chief adviser on the tombs of Tromp and Piet Hein. These are cultural masterpieces that carry the history of a nation, and it is precisely with such works that Terwen takes the greatest care. In his work, he sees himself very much as a link between clients and collectors. In April 2025, his contribution to Dutch heritage received royal recognition when he was appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.
Director Hans Huygens: “In Pier Terwen we have found an ambassador who embodies everything Venduehuis stands for: knowledge, craftsmanship and respect for the object. We are honoured to have him associated with our house.” This combination of knowledge, integrity and dedication to the object makes Terwen a natural ambassador. Since its founding in 1811, Venduehuis has passed art and precious objects from one collector to the next, always with attention to provenance, quality and history. As ambassador, Terwen contributes to that tradition: the conviction that every object holds a history to be passed on with care.
Venduehuis is delighted to welcome Pier Terwen as its ambassador.
During the viewing days for the Old Masters, Nineteenth Century & Early Modern Art auction, from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November, Pier Terwen will regularly be present at Nobelstraat 5, The Hague.
