Auctions of Modern and Contemporary Art
€ 274 500 for a couple of Pear Trees
Munich, 4 June 2011, (kk) - Art is more in demand than ever before. Once more, this has been confirmed by the excellent results of the spring auctions at Ketterer Kunst, which grossed some € 12 million**. "We were able to sell 14 objects in realms of six-digit, additionally, we realized incredible increases for most works", said company owner Robert Ketterer. "Just like in the golden days", he continued. "The section of Contemporary Art alone attracted 20 percent new customers. It’s simple, quality art is always highly treasured".
The focal points of the auctions on June 4 were on:
1. Modern Art
2. Post War/Contemporary Art
on 1. Modern Art
Among the top results in this section is the perhaps most sensual approach to the discussion regarding the abortion paragraph 218, Franz Radziwill's painting "Gespräch über einen Paragraphen" (lot 62), went to a European collector for € 344 000*.
Also Hermann Max Pechstein's oil painting "Zerfallenes Haus" (lot 16) is among the top lots. It was acquired by a Southern German private collector for € 305 000*, however, for the time being under reserve.
Another work by Pechstein achieved a result twice its estimate. The watercolor "Zwei Mädchen in der Hängematte" (lot 20) did not fully need the written bid of a Southern German collector, however, it stood its ground against the bidding frenzy in the auction room and eventually climbed to € 164 700*, which is a world record price*** for a work on paper by the artist.
Lot 62: Franz Radziwill
Gespräch über einen Paragraphen
€ 305 000* (under reserve)
Starting price: € 300 000
Lot 16: Hermann Max Pechstein
Zerfallenes Haus
€ 276 000* Starting price: € 170 000
Lot 23: Emil Nolde
Marschlandschaft
€ 274 500* (under reserve)
Starting price: € 250 000
Lot 28: Gabriele Münter
Stillleben mit Madonna
€ 274 500* Starting price: € 58 000
Lot 66: Otto Dix
Alte Birnbäume in Hemmenhofen
It was the same collector who also won the race for Emil Nolde's "Marschlandschaft" (lot 23), which soared from a starting price of € 170 000 to a result of € 286 700*, thus he relegated competitors to places second and beyond.
A collector from Germany's east stood up to half a dozen opposing bidders, in the end € 274 500* seemed to be the appropriate price for the oil painting "Alte Birnbäume in Hemmenhofen" (lot 66) by Otto Dix. But it needed an incredible bidding skirmish which made for a five-fold of the starting price of € 58 000.
Two works by Gabriele Münter also remained in Germany. While the picture on the catalog's title, the 1911 work "Stillleben mit Madonna" (lot 28), was sold for a result of € 274 500* under reserve, a bidder in the auction room allowed a result of € 146 400* for the oil painting "Schloss Elmau im Winter" (lot 47), which had been called up at € 110 000.
Excellent increases were also realized by the following:
| Lot | Artist (Technique) | Titel | Starting price | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Cucuel (oil) | Herbstzauber | € 50 000 | € 140.300* |
| 15 | Bloch (oil) | Eine Gruppe - Gethsemane | € 72.000 | € 130 540* |
| 67 | Kleinschmidt (oil) | Sängerinnen | € 60 000 | € 130 540* |
| 38 | Scherer (wooden sculpture) | Mutter | € 20 000 | € 103 700* |
| 2 | Putz (oil) | Spiegelbild | € 48 000 | € 97 600* |
| 5A | Amiet (oil) | Blumenstillleben | € 8 000 | € 79 300* |
| 3 | Kirchner (watercolor) | Liegender Akt | € 30 000 | € 79 300* |
on 2. Post War/Contemporary Art
This section's list of results is led by Gerhard Richter's 1976 oil painting "Abstraktes Bild" (lot 212), which went to a German merchant for a result of € 170 800* (starting price: € 100 000).
Another work that went beyond the € 100 000 mark was Rupprecht Geiger's "318/61" (lot 201), which went to a private collector in the auction room for € 140 300*. Thus he made for twice its estimate and relegated both written bids and four phone bidders to places second and beyond1.
Three times its starting price, or, in other words a result of € 85 400* was paid for the oil painting "Ohne Titel (Blaue Sonne)" (lot 204) by the same artist. A private collector from Southern Germany, who had been quite active in the auction’s first half, owed this success to his written bid, which had not been made use of to full extent.
A New York collector and his € 76 860* put a stop to his opponent's bidding frenzy. He eventually won the race for Markus Lüpertz' bronze "Daphne 1" (lot 252) and allowed twice the starting price of € 38 000.
The bidding skirmish for Ernst Wilhelm Nay's gouache "Drei Männer mit Stier" (lot 200) was also quite impressive, as it comprised seven phone lines on top of the full auction room. In the end a German collector bore the palm at a result of € 75 640* which is a four-fold of the starting price.
Next to Jörg Immendorff's 85 cm large bronze "Affe in der Suppenschüssel" (lot 231), which a collector from Hesse obtained for a result of € 41 480, a whole bunch of monkeys in all sorts of situations, which the artist executed in small-size bronzes (lots 300-321), was also quite successful. Starting at prices of € 3 500 each, the 22 figures realized an overall result of € 122 000*.
Excellent increases were also realized by the following:
| Lot no. |
Artist (Technique) | Title | Starting price | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 265 | Balkenhol (wooden sculpture) | Frau mit goldenen Stiefeln | € 30 000 | € 61 000* |
| 230 | Francis (gouache) | Untiteled No. 74 Bern | € 30 000 | € 58 560* |
| 206 | Winter (oil) | Rot von Unten | € 35 000 | € 57 340* |
| 297 | Reyle (acrylic) | Ohne Titel (Streifenbild) | € 40 000 | € 54 900* |
| 248 | Beuys (multiple) | Hasenstein | € 12 000 | € 50 020* |
as well as Luciano Castelli's gouache "Rückenakt" (lot 257), called up at € 7 500 it soared to a result of € 21 250*, which means a world record price*** for a work on paper by this artist.
Objects unsold in the auction can be purchased in the post auction sale up until 4 August, 2011. 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 € 12 million* for spring 2011.
*** source: www.artnet.com
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|---|---|
| Ketterer Kunst | Ketterer Kunst |
| Joseph-Wild-Str. 18 | Joseph-Wild-Str. 18 |
| 81829 Munich | 81829 Munich |
| Michaela Derra M.A. | |
| 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 |
