Freeman’s to Present The Middendorf Collection: A Legacy of Art & Diplomacy

Freeman’s announces The Middendorf Collection: A Legacy of Art & Diplomacy, a landmark collection from the Estate of Ambassador J. William Middendorf II, the distinguished American statesman, financier, and cultural patron. The collection will be offered across a series of the auction house’s premier fall and winter sales, including Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, Including Americana; Old Master and 19th Century European Art; American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts; European Furniture & Decorative Arts; Collect: American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts; and American Art.

Spanning Old Master paintings, early American portraits, Pilgrim-Century furniture, and important books and manuscripts, the collection reflects Mr. Middendorf's wide-ranging intellectual and cultural interests. Together, these works offer insight into a collector whose distinguished career in diplomacy and public service was complemented by a lifelong appreciation for art, history, and scholarship.

Caroline Smith, Vice President, Co-Head, Trusts, Estates & Private Clients, Boston, reflects on the collection: “Mr. Middendorf was a true connoisseur with a keen artistic eye. As a passionate scholar of art throughout his life, he delighted in the thrill of discovery. Freeman is privileged to share some of his treasures with the world. His artistic legacy radiates from New England to Europe and beyond.”

A Singular Figure

J. William Middendorf II (1924–2025) was a singular figure whose influence spanned finance, government, the military, and the arts. Alongside his professional and civic achievements, he cultivated a discerning eye as a collector.

Born in Baltimore on September 22, 1924, Middendorf left Harvard to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II as engineer officer and navigator aboard the USS LCS(L) 53 and was later stationed in China. After the war he completed his degree at Harvard College in 1947 and earned an MBA from New York University in 1954. He co-founded the investment banking firm Middendorf, Colgate and Company, with a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, and served as treasurer of Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign and then of the Republican National Committee from 1965 to 1969.

Leaving a Wall Street partnership for public service, he became one of the most frequently appointed American diplomats of his era and advised five presidents: Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan. He served as ambassador to the Netherlands, the Organization of American States, and the European Community. At the OAS, he helped develop the Caribbean Basin Initiative, a trade and economic package for 21 nations. He was also a founder of the International Republican Institute.

As Secretary of the Navy from 1974 to 1977, Middendorf sponsored major programs that continue to define the American fleet, including the Trident missile, the Ohio-class submarine, the Aegis system, the F/A-18 fighter, and the CH-53E heavy-lift helicopter. In 1975, he helped devise Operation Frequent Wind, the helicopter evacuation of Americans and at-risk Vietnamese from Saigon. In 2023, the Navy’s decision to name a guided-missile destroyer, DDG 138, in his honor was celebrated on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

Middendorf was also an accomplished composer, artist, and author. He began composing in earnest during his ambassadorship in The Hague, studying composition and orchestral conducting there. His works include at least 80 marches for Navy ships, 17 anthems dedicated to nations across the hemisphere, operas, and eight symphonies, and he received the American Bandmasters Association’s Edwin Franko Goldman Award. A lifelong draftsman, he filled 620 sketchbooks with more than 10,000 drawings. It was also during his posting in The Hague that he began passionately studying and collecting Dutch Old Masters. He served on the boards of the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and was founding chairman of the Friends of the American Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Rhode Island Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz called him a “Renaissance man.”

Middendorf lived in Little Compton, Rhode Island, for more than 70 years. He died on October 24, 2025, at the age of 101, and is survived by his children and grandchildren.

Old Master and 19th Century European Art, Including Works from the Collection of Ambassador J. William Middendorf II
Live | New York | November 10

European paintings formed an important part of Mr. Middendorf's collection, with works representing the rich artistic traditions of the seventeenth century. From Dutch landscapes and portraiture to Venetian genre painting, the selection reflects the breadth of his interests in the Old Masters.

This nearly life-sized painting of a flute player by Johann Liss, one of the leading German artists of the Baroque period, was likely executed in Venice, where the artist settled during the early 1620's. The theme of the poetic musician, which originated in the Venetian tradition associated with Giorgione and his circle, was subsequently taken up by followers of Caravaggio. Comparable lute players appear in works by Bartolomeo Manfredi, Nicolas Tournier, and Valentin de Boulogne. In its conception, compositional arrangement, and handling of light, Liss’s painting bears a close affinity to Manfredi’s Lute Player. Through fluid brushwork and a sophisticated interplay of light, color, and tonal contrast, Liss imbues the figure with a striking sense of immediacy, while the compositional balance evokes the quiet harmony of the music he prepares to play.

Johannes Natus was a member of the Guild of Saint Luke in Middelburg, one of Holland’s most important commercial centers in the seventeenth century. He specialized in tavern interiors, distinguished by their imposing figures, atmospheric light, and rich, harmonious colors. The scale and treatment of these compositions have prompted the suggestion that he may have spent time in Italy,

The present work has been included in numerous exhibitions, most recently in Rotterdam, Kunsthal, At Home in the Golden Age, February 9 - May 18, 2008, no. 37.

This work has a distinguished provenance, beginning with the French dealer and auctioneer Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Lebrun before entering the notable Mildmay collection, known for its longstanding interest in Old Master paintings through its ties to the Baring family. Retained through the dispersal of much of the Mildmay collection at Christie’s in 1893. Jan van der Heyden was among the first Dutch painters to specialize in cityscapes and architectural subjects, producing views of Amsterdam and other Dutch, Flemish, and German towns, as well as country houses and imaginary architectural compositions. Although his paintings often depict recognizable locations, he frequently altered architectural details and rearranged settings to achieve carefully balanced compositions. His aim went beyond topographical accuracy to create an idealized, harmonious vision of the built environment.

This work has a distinguished provenance, beginning with the French dealer and auctioneer Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Lebrun before entering the notable Mildmay collection, known for its longstanding interest in Old Master paintings through its ties to the Baring family. Retained through the dispersal of much of the Mildmay collection at Christie’s in 1893. Jan van der Heyden was among the first Dutch painters to specialize in cityscapes and architectural subjects, producing views of Amsterdam and other Dutch, Flemish, and German towns, as well as country houses and imaginary architectural compositions. Although his paintings often depict recognizable locations, he frequently altered architectural details and rearranged settings to achieve carefully balanced compositions. His aim went beyond topographical accuracy to create an idealized, harmonious vision of the built environment.

Additional Highlights:

• Lot 5 | Master of the Little Cologne Passion (German, 15th Century) | Christ on the Cross (The Crucifixion)
  Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000
• Lot 8 | Tuscan School, 14th century, Saint Anthony Abbot and Saint Paul the Hermit
  Estimate: $20,000-$30,000

American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts
Live | Philadelphia | November 12

Mr. Middendorf's appreciation for American history is reflected in his collection of early American furniture, portraits, and decorative arts, including Pilgrim-Century and Rhode Island Queen Anne furniture. These works speak to his interest in the nation's formative years and the artistic traditions of New England, where he maintained a home for more than seven decades.

Painted in the 1820’s by Stuart in Boston during the last decade of his life, when demand for his likenesses was steady and provided the artist a predictable source of income. Stuart used his unfinished life portrait of Washington painted in Philadelphia in 1796 as reference. His daughter Jane sold that canvas to the Boston Athenaeum in 1831, and it is now jointly owned by the National Portrait Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Portraits derived from it are known as “Athenaeum Type,” of which Stuart is thought to have painted at least 75 versions. As was his habit late in life, Stuart painted the face himself and left the costume and background to his studio, which explains the variations found across the type.

Additional Highlights:

• A Pilgrim Century Carved Oak and Pine Blanket Chest, Massachusetts or Rhode Island, Circa 1640-1680
  Estimate: $10,000 - $20,000

Auction Schedule

Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, Including Americana
Live | Chicago
November 5 | 10 AM CT

Old Master and 19th Century European Art, Including Works from the Collection of Ambassador J. William Middendorf II
Live | New York
November 10 | 11:00 AM EST

American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts
Live | Philadelphia
November 12 | 10:00 AM EST

European Furniture & Decorative Arts
Live | Chicago
January 20, 2027 | 10 AM CT

Collect: American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts
Online
January 26, 2027

American Art
Live | New York
January 8, 2027

About Freeman’s

Freeman’s is a premier American auction house offering services in multiple categories including fine art, jewelry, design, books and manuscripts, furniture, decorative arts, antiquities, couture, and Asian works of art. With 16 regional locations nationwide, the firm provides auctions, appraisals, private sales, and art advisory services, connecting clients to the global art market. Freeman’s strives to bring art, history, and design to life by connecting people with extraordinary objects through exceptional service and expertise.