Breugel-Douglas-Casper-baron-van

Online auction Auction House: Baron Van Breugel Douglas, ambassador & painter
February 8, 2019 John Töpfer

Image: 'Village on the Mediterranean coast' by Casper baron van Breugel Douglas. Photo with kind thanks to the Venduehuis der Notarissen in The Hague/www.venduehuis.com.
Until February 11th, an online Fine Art & Silver auction will take place at the Venduehuis in The Hague with, among other things, this painting by Casper baron van Breugel Douglas (1896-1982). Below you can read the story about it.

Casper baron van Breugel Douglas was born on 5 January 1986 in Vevey, Switzerland, as the son of Mr. Robert baron van Breugel Douglas (1864-1924) and the Russian Vera Vassilievna Khlebnikoff (1860-1909). His father descended from a family that originated in Breugel in the 16th century and that would produce many administrators over the centuries.

In 1815, ancestor Mr. Casper van Breugel (1752-1833) was elevated to the Dutch nobility and nine years later he received the title baron by primogeniture. He married Mary Douglas (1755-1793) in 1781, who came from a well-known Scottish family and in 1861 the name Douglas was added by descendants.

Casper was the second son in the family, but his eldest brother – also called Casper – died a few months after birth. After Casper, another sister was born. Casper chose the diplomatic service and would eventually become extraordinary envoy and plenipotentiary minister in the years 1937-1941 in Athens, in 1942 in Chunking and in the years 1943-1946 in Moscow. With this last appointment he would become the first Dutch ambassador in Russia since the Russian Revolution. In 1928 he married the Romanian Aga Iona Maria Berendei (1901-1970) in Bucharest, whom he had met here during his diplomatic career as embassy secretary 1st class. Together they had a daughter.

After he had said goodbye to the diplomatic service, he and his wife settled in Cannes, France. Here he could devote himself to painting and the painting 'Village on the Mediterranean Coast' must date from this period. On 10 August 1982 he died in Cannes as the 5th and last baron Van Breugel Douglas and with him the baronial branch of the Van Breugel family died out in the male line.