Robert Ketterer reaches the top result of € 100.040 for Ferdinand Max Bredt's relaxed harem's ladies.

Munich, 30 April, 2012, (kk) – With a result of more than € 2,6 million* in the April auctions, the season begins just as promising as a year ago. "32 percent new bidders in the auction of Old Masters and Art of the 19th Century alone once more confirm the high appeal of fine art", says Robert Ketterer about the spring auction's first part**.

A bidder from Great Britain honored the oriental scene with a result of € 100.040* at a starting price of € 25.000, thus letting it soar by 173 percent*** and relegating bidders, among them a fellow countryman, and interesting parties from France and the USA to places second and beyond.
The pastel work in soft colors "Skabiosen" by Henri-Edmond Cross (lot 166) remains on German soil. Clients from Great Britain and France made sure the work would rise high after it was called up at € 14.000, in the end they looked on when the work was sold for € 28.750*.

More than a six-fold its starting price was realized by "Drei Engel" by Franz Kadlik (lot 187), which went to a Czech bidder for a result of € 27.500*. In the end he won the race against fellow countrymen and an art lover from Hong Kong.

The rush was big when Franz von Stuck's oil study "Wind und Welle" (lot 237) was called up. For this work a bidder from Switzerland stood his ground against half a dozen competitors from Germany, Switzerland and the U.S.A. Going from € 3.500 to € 22.500*, the work realized an increase of 350 percent*** and thus the day's highest increase rate.

Besides half a dozen oil paintings by Friedrich Preller the Younger, almost all sold with high increases, it was especially prints that captured the audience's attention.

Other remarkable results were achieved by the following:

Objects unsold in the auction can be purchased in the post auction sale until end of May. Lists of auction results are available by phone. Please call +49 (0)89-55244-0.

*  The result is the hammer price
    +25 percent buyer's premium for objects up to € 25 000
     +22 percent buyer's premium for objects above € 25 001
     +20 percent buyer's premium for objects above 500 001

** Unlike other German auction houses Ketterer Kunst holds it auction season on
     several days. The main auction of Modern and Contemporary Art
     is on 9 June, 2012.

*** The percentage indicates the ratio between starting price (limit price) and hammer      price.

Since it was founded in 1954, Ketterer Kunst has been firmly established in the front ranks of auction houses dealing in art and rare books, with its headquarters in Munich and a branch in Hamburg. Gallery rooms in Berlin as well as representatives in Heidelberg and Krefeld have contributed substantially to the company's success. Ketterer Kunst has further rounded off its portfolio with the prestigious Ernest Rathenau Verlag, New York/Munich. In addition, exhibitions, special theme and charity auctions as well as online auctions are regular events at Ketterer Kunst. Robert Ketterer is auctioneer and owner of Ketterer Kunst.

www.kettererkunst.com