Fresh breeze invigorates art spring
Modern and Contemporary Art make for top results and sharp increases
Munich, 27 April 2010, (kk) - "The start of the season couldn’t have been any better", said Robert Ketterer, auctioneer and owner of Ketterer Kunst. He continued: "An overall result of € 2,3 million* in the sections of the first part of Modern and Contemporary Art of up to € 20 000** - together with the Old Masters and Art of the 19th Century even more than € 3 million* - last year’s result in all three sections was exceeded by € 700 000. This is an outstanding achievement, just as it is the case with the average increase of 85 percent ***, which every sold lot in these three auctions achieved to realize".
The top lot of the April auctions:Otto Griebel - Zwei Frauen. 1924
Watercolor, 63,8x45 cm (25.1x17.7 in)
Result: € 159 000*
Increase: 550 Prozent **
No. 434: Otto Griebel - Zwei Frauen
€ 71 000* Starting price: € 12 000
No. 351 Erich Buchholz – Schwarzer Winkel mit Goldkrreis
€ 49 000* Starting price: € 18 000
No. 328: Ernst Barlach – Das Wiedersehen (Christus und Thomas)
€ 32 000* Starting price: € 8 000
No. 1030: Andy Warhol – Mick Jagger
€ 30 000* Starting price: € 9 000
No. 867: Horst Janssen – Pique Dame
The focal points were on:
1. Modern Art
2. Post War/Contemporary Art
on 1: Modern Art
With a result of € 159 000* and an increase of the eight-fold of its starting price, Otto Griebel‘s "Zwei Frauen" (lot 434) is heading the April auctions. The unbeatable combination of quality, rareness and the fact that it is new to the market, which this unsparing depiction by the Dresden artist possesses, made the phone wires run hot. Eventually, all eight phone bidders, as well as bidders in the auction room had to give in to the written bid of a Greek.
The same art lover also won the race for a wood relief by Erich Buchholz. For € 71 000* and thus the six-fold of the starting price, he acquired the work "Schwarzer Winkel mit Goldkreis" (lot 351) that had been estimated with € 15 000-20 000. In doing so, he stood up to the auction room as well as to German art dealers and a new Belgian customer on the phone.
The section of sculptures was led by Ernst Barlach‘s terracotta-toned gypsum work "Das Wiedersehen (Christus und Thomas)" (lot 328). With a result of € 49 000*, the written bid of a Swiss collector, which was far from being utilized entirely, could halt the bidding frenzy in the auction room.
"All sold with sharp increases" can be said about 15 works by Joan Miró. The same applies to more than a dozen works from Eduard Bargheer. His lucent watercolors were particularly sought-after, most of which were sold far above their limit.
The small but nice offer of works by Italian artists from the Collection Degenhart was also quite successful. Half a dozen of bidders on average showed their interest, and they were not only from Italy, in these six works (lots 516-521) by Felice Casorati, Osvaldo Licini and Marino Marini, most of them changed owners clearly increasing their starting price. Now one can eagerly look forward to other works from this collection, which will be sold on www.kettererkunst.com shortly.
| Lot no. | Artist (Technique) | Title | Calling price | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 561 | Richard Müller (oil) | Liegendes Mädchen | € 5 000 | € 27 000* |
| 607 | Christian Rohlfs (water tempera) | Rote Cannas | € 12 000 | € 26 000* |
| 580 | H. M.Pechstein (India ink) | Mädchen ... | € 8 000 | € 23 000* |
| 611 | Josef Scharl (oil) | Bildnis eines Arztes | € 4 000 | € 20 000* |
| 539 | Ludwig Meidner (chalk drawing) | Frau mit Hut | € 1 500 | € 18 000* |
| 430 | Paul Goesch (watercolor/pencil) | Der Himmelschor | € 1 700 | € 18 000* |
Top-Lot of the Contemporary Art Auction:Andy Warhol - Mick Jagger. 1975
silkscreen in colors, 110,9 x 73,4 cm (43.6 x 28.8 in)
Result: € 32 000
on 2. Post War/Contemporary Art
A classic of Contemporary Art is taking the lead position in this section. Andy Warhol‘s silkscreen in colors "Mick Jagger" (lot 1030) climbed from € 8 000 to the remarkable result of € 32 000*. A new customer from Berlin honored the work at four times its starting price, in doing so, he relegated half a dozen international competitors to second place and beyond.
Seven sold lots by Horst Janssen were led by the pencil drawing "Pique Dame" (lot 867). After a grim bidding skirmish between a German collector and three fellow countrymen on the phone, he only managed to obtain the sheet in a size of 46 x 31,5 cm for a total of € 30 000*.
Walter Stöhrer‘s "Cut up IV" (lot 993) also went to a German art dealer who showed staying power, as the mixed media work rose to a result of € 29 000* from an initial € 15.000.
Standing ground against bids from Germany and Finland, the India ink work "Peu de tinta" (lot 1002) by Antoni Tàpies, called up at € 9 000, eventually went to Spain for a total of € 21 000*.
Four works by Heinz Mack were all sold with high increases. Besides his "Spiralrotor" (starting price: € 4 000, result: € 13 000*) it was particularly his chalk work "Weißes Lichtgitter/Konter-Schraffur", which a new customer from France made sure for himself for € 17 000* (starting price: € 5 000), against the will of numerous international competitors. This result makes one eager to see what will happen when the "Structure dynamique noir" by the ZERO artist will be called up in the main auction on 12 June at € 40 000-60 000.
Other objects that realized excellent increases:
| Lot no. | Artist (Technique) | Title | Calling price | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1046 | Fritz Winter (oil) | Vor Grau und Grün | € 7 000 | € 16 000* |
| 839 | Erich Hauser (plastic) | 10/93 | € 5 000 | € 15 000* |
| 860 | F. Hundertwasser (woodcut) | Gesang der Wale | € 5 000 | € 15 000* |
| 757 | Karl Fred Dahmen (oil) | Kleines Fest | € 4 000 | € 12 000* |
| 1006 | Fred Thieler (oil) | no title | € 1 500 | € 6 700* |
All unsold objects of the spring auction can be acquired in the post auction sale until late June 2010. Lists with results are available by phone under +49-(0)89-55244-0. Please find further information on www.kettererkunst.com.
* The result is the hammer price + 22 percent buyer’s premium.
** The April auctions are the first part of the spring season. The main auction of Modern and Contemporary Art takes place on 12 June.
*** The percentage indicates the ratio between the starting price (gross limit) and the hammer price.
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|---|---|
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| Joseph-Wild-Str. 18 | Joseph-Wild-Str. 18 |
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| phone:+49-(0)89-55244-152 (Fax: -177) | phone:+49-(0)89-55244-444 (Fax.:-177) |
| e-mail: m.derra@kettererkunst.de | e-mail: info@kettererkunst.com |
