Auctions of Modern and Contemporary Art
Abstraction has its Price
Munich, 11 June, 2012. (kk) - "Art is in demand more than ever. The excellent results of Ketterer Kunst's spring auction, amounting to € 13 million** and some € 1 million* more than last year this time confirm this", says company owner Robert Ketterer.
He continues: "17 results beyond the € 100.000-mark and sharp increases make for an impressive result. In the section of Modern Art alone some 30 percent new customers have been recorded. Its the quality that counts".
The focus of the auction on 9 June was on:
1. Post War/Contemporary Art
2. Modern Art
on 1. Post War/Contemporary Art
Occupying the top rank of both this section and the overall auction is an abstract work by Serge Poliakoff. The lucent colors' rhythm, that makes the "Composition abstraite orange, jaune, vert, lie de vin" (lot 209) from 1964 vibrate, was honored by a German collector with a result of € 525.000*. With a written bid that hadn't been used up entirely, he relegated competitors from Switzerland, Germany and Denmark to places second and beyond.
Lot 209: Serge Poliakoff
Composition abstraite...
€ 490.000* Starting price: € 140.000
Lot 219: Pierre Soulages
Peinture 81 x 60 cm, 2 mai 1957
€ 415.000* Starting price: € 220.000
Lot 24: Gabriele Münter
Abend am See
€ 330.000* Starting price: € 180.000
Lot 244: Georg Baselitz
Kopf (Elke Profil)
€ 285.000* Starting price: € 100.000
Lot 56: Emil Nolde
Marschlandschaft um Utenwarf (Bauerngehöft mit Abendhimmel)
Pierre Soulage's oil painting "Peinture 81 x 60 cm, 2 mai 1957" (lot 219) is another work at the very top of the list. In the end, it was acquired for € 490.000* by a private Swiss collector who stood his ground against the auction room as well as ten phone bidders from Germany, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands and the U.S.A.
With a result of € 330.000* the work "Kopf (Elke Profil)" by Georg Baselitz (lot 244) remains in Germany. A collector from Southern Germany more than doubled the starting price of € 140.000.
The highest increase of the evening was realized by a work without title by Heinz Mack (lot 207). Despite tough competition from the rest of Germany, Great Britain and Belgium, the work went to the Rhineland for a result of € 183.000*. Starting at € 28.000, the increase equates to 436 percent.
Works by Andy Warhol were also quite successful: While his "Marilyn" (lot 223, starting price: € 140.000, result: € 170.800*) will stay in Germany, his "Porträt von Karl Ludwig Schweisfurth" (lot 231, starting price: € 80.000, result: € 97.600) will go to Switzerland. The first mentioned even set a new world record price*** for graphic works by the artist, being the most expensive ever sold in Germany.
The results of the special auction section New Leipzig School were quite impressive as well as 80 percent of the lots were sold at clear increases. A good example is David Schnell's work "Schneise" (lot 277) which soared to a result of € 109.800* at a starting price of € 25.000. After a bidding race between the auction room, five phone bidders and four written bids from Germany, Austria, Belgium, Greece and Switzerland, a German bidder eventually stood his ground.
The following realized further excellent results:
| Lot | Artist (Technique) | Title | Starting price | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 202 | Nay (oil) | Imagination in Gelb | € 90.000 | € 158.600* |
| 264 | Scully (pastel) | Ohne Titel | € 80.000 | € 146.400* |
| 282 | Eitel (oil) | Nacht | € 85.000 | € 103.700* |
| 265 | Reyle (acrylic) | Ohne Titel | € 50.000 | € 85.400* |
on 2. Modern Art
The result list of this section is led by Gabriele Münter's oil painting "Abend am See" (lot 24) from 1916, which went to a private collector from Southern Germany for a result of € 415.000* (starting price: € 220.000).
Almost a three-fold of the starting price of € 100.000 was realized by Emil Nolde's watercolor "Marschlandschaft um Utenwarf (Bauerngehöft mit Abendhimmel)" (lot 56), which went to a phone bidder from Germany's east for a result of € 285 000*. In the end he beat eight other phone bidders, the auction room and a number of written bids.
Another lot that went far beyond the € 100.000-mark was Vladimir Georgievic Bekhteev's oil painting "Bogenschützen" (lot 27), which was bought by a private collector from Germany for a total price of € 268.400*.
Another world record*** was realized by Lorenzo Viani's "Dame mit Chrysantheme" (lot 11) from 1911. It took an art lover from Hesse and his offer of € 189.100* to halt the international bidding frenzy with competitors from Germany, Italy, Greece and Belgium. In the end he did not only win the race for the beautiful oil painting (starting price € 32.000), but also provided the auction’s second-sharpest increase.
In the section of sculptures Fritz Klimsch's bronze works "Sommertag" (lot94) and "Der Sturm" (lot 55) were in demand with a total of eight German phone bidders, in the end ownership changed for € 43.920* and € 21.250* respectively. Another respectable result was realized by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's "Katze" (lot 39). The wooden sculpture remains in Germany, as it was acquired by a private collector for a result of € 201.300*. Seven other works by the artist also realized fantastic increases.
The following realized further excellent results:
| Lot | Artist (Technique) | Title | Starting price | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 | Münter (oil) | Staffelsee mit rotem Haus | € 90.000 | € 164.700* |
| 35 | Maetzel (oil) | Madonna | € 16.000 | € 109.800* |
| 49 | Gramatté (oil) | Die große Angst | € 60.000 | € 102.480* |
| 20 | Nolde (watercolor) | Bauernhaus in Friesland | € 75.000 | € 91.500* |
| 72 | Feininger (watercolor) | West Deep III | € 15.000 | € 82.960* |
Unsold objects can be purchased in the post auction sale until 13 July, 2012. The auction's list of result is available by phone at 0049-(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 overall proceeds of € 13 million* for spring 2012
*** source: www.artnet.com
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, Düsseldorf and Modena (Italy) have contributed substantially to the company's success.. 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.
