Sale: 560 / Evening Sale, Dec. 06. 2024 in Munich Lot 40


40
Franz Gertsch
Dominique, 1988/2000.
Woodcut in colors
Estimate:
€ 120,000 - 150,000

 
$ 130,800 - 163,500

+
Dominique. 1988/2000.
Woodcut in colors.
Signed and dated “imp. 17.8.2000”, as well as numbered and inscribed “2. Zustand 2/4” on the reverse. One of 4 planned copies of the second state, of which only 3 copies were printed. On handmade Kumohadamashi paper by Heizaburo Iwano. 234 x 182.5 cm (92.1 x 71.8 in). Sheet: 276 x 220 cm (108,6 x 86,6 in).
In the second state from 2000, 187 new incisions were added to the plate. Printed by Nik Hausmann, Franz Gertsch, Maria Gertsch & Druckercrew on August 17, 2000. Published by Franz Gertsch. Each print is unique in color.

• Monumental woodcut in brilliant colors and a unique character.
• The finest printmaking art on precious Kumohadamashi Japan paper.
• Franz Gertsch's portraits are among the artist's most sought-after woodcuts on the international auction market (source: artprice.com).
• Until November 10, 2024, the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk honors the artist, who passed away in 2022, with a comprehensive retrospective
.

We are grateful to the Gertsch family, Bern, for their kind support in cataloging this lot.

PROVENANCE: Private collection, Switzerland (acquired directly from the artist).
galerie im park, contemporary fine art, Burgdorf.
Thomas Olbricht Collection, Essen.
Private collection, Baden-Württemberg.

LITERATURE: Andrea Firmenich, Johannes Janssen (eds.), Franz Gertsch. Holzschnitte. Aus der Natur gerissen, mit einem Register der Druckgraphik 1972-2008, as a provisional catalogue raisonné by Rainer Michael Mason, Cologne 2013, no. 8 ( illustrated in black and white on p. 117, different copy).

"From 1986 onwards, the woodcut enabled me to realize an old dream, which was to create monochrome color spaces. I had not been able to achieve this through painting. The invention of my woodcut made it possible. I find that sensational to this day."
Franz Gertsch, Gedankengänge durch Vorstellung und Natur, in: Andrea Firmenich, Franz Gertsch. Holzschnitte, Cologne 2013, pp. 19–23, here p. 21.

Called up: December 6, 2024 - ca. 18.18 h +/- 20 min.

The young Dominique looks at us from this monumental woodcut measuring almost two and a half meters in height and bathed in a warm yellow-orange. Despite the imposing size, her contours are soft, her gaze gentle, and her hair caresses her face in an airy manner. Features that create an enigmatic mood and set a counterpoint to the mere physical size of her appearance. With “Dominique” (1988), Franz Gertsch created a particularly striking woodcut portrait, which, in addition to its aesthetic impact, is also impressive for the elaborate production process and the use of high-quality materials. The countless small, grid-like structures the artist painstakingly cuts out of the wooden block using different gouges emerge in close-up. Most of his motifs are based on photographs. In this case, a picture of the 25-year-old teacher Dominique Sonnen served as the template. Subsequently, the artist mixes special pigment powders to create colors he uses to print on high-quality, hand-made Japanese paper made from mulberry and linen fibers by Heizaburo Iwano. In his home country, Iwano bears the honorary title “National Treasure”. The elaborate manual printing process generally only allows one copy to be printed per day. Due to the individual coloring, each copy takes on a unique character. Gertsch has been creating woodcuts independently of his paintings since 1986. He has opened up entirely new dimensions for this traditional medium with a hitherto unknown precision of execution – in both engraving and printing – and in monumental formats that push the boundaries of papermaking. [AR]




Buyer's premium, taxation and resale right compensation for Franz Gertsch "Dominique"
This lot can be purchased subject to differential or regular taxation, artist‘s resale right compensation is due.

Differential taxation:
Hammer price up to 800,000 €: herefrom 32 % premium.
The share of the hammer price exceeding 800,000 € is subject to a premium of 27 % and is added to the premium of the share of the hammer price up to 800,000 €.
The share of the hammer price exceeding 4,000,000 € is subject to a premium of 22 % and is added to the premium of the share of the hammer price up to 4,000,000 €.
The buyer's premium contains VAT, however, it is not shown.

Regular taxation:
Hammer price up to 800,000 €: herefrom 27 % premium.
The share of the hammer price exceeding 800,000 € is subject to a premium of 21% and is added to the premium of the share of the hammer price up to 800,000 €.
The share of the hammer price exceeding 4,000,000 € is subject to a premium of 15% and is added to the premium of the share of the hammer price up to 4,000,000 €.
The statutory VAT of currently 19 % is levied to the sum of hammer price and premium. As an exception, the reduced VAT of 7 % is added for printed books.

We kindly ask you to notify us before invoicing if you wish to be subject to regular taxation.

Calculation of artist‘s resale right compensation:
For works by living artists, or by artists who died less than 70 years ago, a artist‘s resale right compensation is levied in accordance with Section 26 UrhG:
4 % of hammer price from 400.00 euros up to 50,000 euros,
another 3 % of the hammer price from 50,000.01 to 200,000 euros,
another 1 % for the part of the sales proceeds from 200,000.01 to 350,000 euros,
another 0.5 % for the part of the sale proceeds from 350,000.01 to 500,000 euros and
another 0.25 % of the hammer price over 500,000 euros.
The maximum total of the resale right fee is EUR 12,500.

The artist‘s resale right compensation is VAT-exempt.