# Vincent Mentzel artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/vincent-mentzel/
Profile generated: 2026-05-24T21:57:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1945-09-28
- Nationality: Dutch
- Movements: Photorealism
- Common media: Photography (gelatin silver print, chromogenic print)

## About Vincent Mentzel

Vincent Mentzel (born 1945, Breda) is a Dutch photographer and photojournalist best known for his decades-long tenure as staff photographer at the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad, a position he has held since 1973. His work is associated with a photorealist approach, capturing candid and direct portraits of prominent cultural, political, and royal figures. Mentzel's subjects have included Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Pope John Paul II, Boris Yeltsin, writers such as Harry Mulisch, and contemporary artists including Sigmar Polke and Daan van Golden. His photographic archive, documented by the RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History and represented in over fifty works in the RKDimages database, constitutes a significant visual record of late-twentieth and early-twenty-first-century Dutch public life.

## Common works and media

Mentzel's body of work consists chiefly of portrait photographs and photojournalistic images. Common formats include gelatin silver prints and chromogenic (color) photographs, often produced in limited editions. His most encountered subjects are portraits of Dutch royalty (notably Queen Beatrix), international political leaders, writers, and contemporary artists. Collectors may also encounter his editorial and documentary work from NRC Handelsblad assignments, as well as exhibition prints from gallery and museum presentations.

## Market and appraisal context

Vincent Mentzel's photographs appear at auction primarily within Dutch and European photography sales. Key valuation factors include the notability of the sitter or subject, whether the work is a vintage or later print, edition size and numbering, print medium (gelatin silver or chromogenic), provenance linking the work to NRC Handelsblad editorial use or recognized exhibitions, and overall condition. His portraits of internationally recognized figures tend to generate broader collector interest. Comparable auction results should be consulted for current market positioning.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from authority files and institutional sources with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Vincent Mentzel, identity data is grounded in the RKD, Getty ULAN, VIAF, and Wikidata authority records.

## Sources

- RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/55296
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2710045
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Mentzel
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500081291
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/96263164/
- Vincent Mentzel: http://www.vincentmentzel.nl
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85065299