Art Auctions on the upswing
€ 1.740 000 for a child's head
Munich, 4 Dec. 2010, (kk) – Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s "Kinderköpfchen" was sold for a mere 450 German Marks at the Stuttgarter Kunstkabinett in the early 1950s. Ever since it had not been offered on the market, until today, when it achieved the sensational result of € 1.740 000.
From DM 450 to € 1.740 000: Robert Ketterer auctions Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s "Kinderköpfchen".
Made in 1906, the impressive oil painting, which takes after models such as Vincent van Gogh, marks an important step in the development of the "Brücke" towards Expressionism. A Northern German private collector seemed to be quite aware of this as well. With a result of € 1.740 000* he relegated German and US-American competitors to places second and beyond, additionally, he made for a four-fold of the starting price.
All in all, the auction of Modern and Contemporary Art made for a great atmosphere in the auction room and record result. "Our autumn auctions** grossed a total of € 13.500 000*. This way we did not only top the excellent results of the last two autumn auctions, we even managed to outdo the record year 2007", said Robert Ketterer. "More than 20 percent new customers and a sales quota (by lot numbers) of almost 80 percent for Modern Art and almost 70 percent for Contemporary Art once more prove that art is a popular form of investment".
Lot 26: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Kinderköpfchen
€ 610 000* Starting price: € 45 000
Lot 66: Richard Ziegler
Die Polizei
World Record***
€ 354 000* Starting price: € 290 000
Lot 149: Martin Kippenberger
Kleiner Verkehr …
€ 329 000* Starting price: € 80 000
Lot 9: Gabriele Münter
Landschaft am Meer
€ 317 000* Starting price: € 180 000
Lot 32: Gabriele Münter
Landschaft mit Haus in Oberau
He continued: "It’s quality that matters, and that does not only account for those 15 lots that went far beyond the € 100 000 mark, but also for the impressive sales quota (ratio between limit and hammer price) of an excellent 183 percent for Modern Art as well as a remarkable 90 percent for Contemporary Art".
The auction’s focal points were on:
1. Modern Art
2. Post War/Contemporary Art
on 1: Modern Art
The October auctions were opened by the section of Modern Art, which did not only have Ernst Ludwig Kirchner‘s "Kinderköpfchen" as a highlight. Works by the "Brücke" artist were generally quite sought-after, and all nine of them were sold. The 1916 woodcut "Nervöse beim Dinner" (lot 38) is particularly worthwhile mentioning. A Northern German private collector made sure that the work climbed from a starting price of € 30 000 to a result of € 128 000*.
A private collector from Turkey, who had come to Munich just for this auction, allowed almost the fourteen-fold of the starting price of € 45 000 for Richard Ziegler's "Die Polizei" (lot 65). He honored the implied ménage à trois between the artist, his cousin and an unknown beauty with a result of € 610 000*. Thus he did not only stand his ground against all other bidders in the auction room, but also against written bids and numerous phone bidders from both Germany and abroad. On top, he made for the auction’s sharpest increase and even a new world record price***.
The ample range of works by Gabriele Münter were almost entirely sold. The top position is occupied by a "Landschaft am Meer" (lot 9) from 1919, which had conquered the heart of a private collector from Southern Germany. Neither the auction room nor four vehement phone bidders could stop him. He can now call the composition which evokes Southern French impressions his own for a result of € 329 000* (starting price: € 80 000). With a result of € 317 000* (starting price: € 180 000) the "Landschaft mit Haus in Oberau" (lot 32) is just slightly behind. Another private collector from Southern Germany acquired the impressive oil painting with a written bid that still had quite some bidding power left.
Cubic interleaved forms, appealingly executed in form of a "Landschaft mit Häusern" (lot 46) on hard fibre board by László Moholy-Nagy in 1919, went to Northern Germany for € 250 000* with an estimate of € 140 000-180 000.
A hot bidding skirmish broke out about Conrad Felixmüller‘s "Tiggaren, der Bettler" (lot 68). The watercolor and gouache work from 1924 eventually went to a Greek collector in the auction room for € 226 000*. Phone bidders from Germany and England had to draw the shortest straw.
Besides four India ink works by Lyonel Feininger, works by August Macke (lot 8, starting price: € 20 000, result: € 55 000*), Christian Rohlfs (lot 56, starting price: € 28 000, result: € 49 000*) and Wilhelm Thöny (lot 3, starting price: € 12 000, result: € 44 000*) also made for remarkable results. The following lots are also quite worthwhile mentioning:
| Lot no. |
Artist (Technique) | Title | Starting price | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | Münter (oil) | Landschaft mit Kindern | € 90 000 | € 152 000* |
| 52 | Baumeister (oil+lacquer) | Formen figural - dreiteilig | € 75 000 | € 99 000* |
| 76 | Chagall (watercolor, oil, etc.) | Fiancés au bouquet blanc | € 25 000 | € 73 000* |
| 55 | Nolde (watercolor) | Marschlandschaft | € 36 000 | € 71 000* |
| 14 | Kokoschka (watercolor) | Blumenstilleben | € 20 000 | € 59 000* |
on 2. Post War/Contemporary Art
The list of results in this section is led by Martin Kippenberger‘s triptych "Kleiner Verkehr (Kreuzung Hauptstraße-Gerwigstraße, St. Georgen. Nach Witzleben links. Capri Nr. 8.)" from 1981/82 (lot 149), which went to a private collector from Israel for a result of € 354 000* (starting price: € 290 000). Additionally, the artist was also successfully represented with two collages (lot 196, starting price: € 25 000, result: € 56 000* as well as lot 191, starting price: € 30 000, result: € 45 000*) and an oil painting (lot 112, starting price: € 25 000, result: € 30 000*).
A collector from Monaco managed to curb the bidding frenzy of his competitors with an offer of € 220 000*. Thus he won the race for Günther Uecker‘s "Weißer Schrei" (lot 115) and doubled the starting price of € 120 000. However, his written bid for "Feld" (lot 109), another work by the same artist, remained without success. An art dealer in the auction room won this race with a result of € 116 000*.
Works by Gerhard Richter also made for some excitement in the auction room. Besides the cibachrome print "Onkel Rudi" (lot 186, starting price: € 14 000, result: € 25 000*) the work "Sich Ankleidende" (lot 103, starting price: € 140 000, result: € 166 000*) was also quite popular. While the first went to a private collector from Berlin, the latter is now in possession of a collector from Vienna. The parquet picture "Grün-Blau-Rot" (lot 151, starting price: € 60 000) was sold to Singapore for a result of € 128 000*.
Just as popular was Johann Georg Müller‘s "Maskerade" (lot 176), which had been estimated € 90 000-120 000. Much sought-after by particularly German art lovers, eventually the large-format oil painting from 1971 went to a collector from Rhineland for a result of € 140 000*.
Two Austrian artists aroused the interest of their fellow countryman. Accordingly, half a dozen written bids and 14 phones were competing for Wolfgang Hollegha's untitled oil painting from 1971 (lot 203), which eventually climbed to € 50 000* and went to a lady from Vienna in the auction room. With € 48 000 Max Weiler's egg tempera- and pencil work "Heitere Wolke" (lot 201) brought in almost the same amount and went, as expected, to Austria as well.
Excellent results were also realized by the following:
| Lot no. | Artist (Technique) | Title | Starting price | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | Shiraga (oil) | Yugi | € 75 000 | € 110 000* |
| 194 | Richter (oil)) | 11.2.88 | € 60 000 | € 73 000* |
| 701 | Balkenhol (wooden sculpture)) | Stehender Mann | € 40 000 | € 59 000* |
Objects unsold in the auction can be purchased in the post auction sale up until early January 2010. Lists of auction results are available by phone under +49 (0)89-55244-0..
* The result is the hammer price + 25 percent buyer’s premium for objects up to € 25 000
The result is the hammer price + 22 percent buyer’s premium for objects above € 25 001
The result is the hammer price + 20 percent buyer’s premium for objects above
€ 500 001
** Unlike other German auction houses Ketterer Kunst holds it auction season on several
€ days, which is reflected by the overall result of € 13,5 million* for autumn 2010.
*** source: www.artnet.com
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