The sensational hammer price of EUR 5,398,000 achieved for Max Beckmann’s portrait Quappi mit grünem Sonnenschirm from 1938 marks another world-class auction result for a top work by this artist, whose self-portrait commanded a spectacular EUR 23,200,000 in December of 2022. The mood in the packed auction hall was electric as a private collection from Lower Saxony bested buyers from Switzerland and the United States in an international bidding battle. The winning bid was the highest ever placed online at a German auction.
Yet another museum-quality work by Max Beckmann to command a seven-digit knockdown was Stillleben mit Orchideen und Birnen from 1946, which went to a private collection in Berlin for an impressive EUR 1,758,000 after a lively bidding fight with buyers from Baden-Württemberg and abroad.
Georg Baselitz’s large-format oil painting Schön gelb from 2009 also attracted strong interest, surpassing its estimate (EUR 450,000 to 650,000) and ultimately reaching EUR 889,000. It will be on exhibit at a German private collection. Bidding was also vigorous for Büste der Knienden (Geneigter Frauenkopf) by Wilhelm Lehmbruck, with art dealers as well as German private collectors vying for the bust, which ultimately found a new owner in southern Germany for EUR 457,200.
Carl Blechen’s museum-quality landscape painting Mühlental von Amalfi, the reappearance of which on the art market had caused quite a stir (Press Release of 2 October 2024), achieved a world-record price for this artist. The work went to a private collection in Hesse for EUR 431,800, or more than triple its original estimate (EUR 100,000 to 150,000), following an intense bidding battle.
A further object of passionate international bidding interest was Henri Manguin’s Jeanne près du pigeonnier de la ville Demière à Saint-Tropez from 1905. Fought over among multiple bidders from Germany, Switzerland, France, and England, the work in the end went to a Swiss art dealer for EUR 419,100, a record price in Germany for this artist.
Five telephone bidders engaged in a gripping contest over Günther Uecker’s SPIRALE, a sculptural painting with nails. A German private collection ultimately was able to secure this coveted work for EUR 400,050 (estimate: EUR 200,000 to 300,000).
It bears noting that, along with Carl Blechen’s Mühlental von Amalfi, the two other restituted works being offered for sale were successfully sold as well. Thus, Grisebach once again was able to play an active role in helping to achieve a fair and just solution for these kinds of cases. The watercolour Später Wintertag am Horn zu Weimar by Paul Klee went to a Swiss private collection for EUR 292,100, exceeding its estimate (EUR 180,000 to 240,000) after a protracted and exciting bidding contest. The other restituted work, the painting Herbstblumen (Frühling) by Lovis Corinth from 1895, fetched EUR 152,400.
Daniel von Schacky, Chairman of Grisebach’s Managing Board: “Grisebach’s global network and our excellent reputation have been able to deliver stellar results for our consignors, even in these turbulent times, both in contemporary art as well as in Classical Modernism. I expect to see even stronger demand for masterworks on the art market in 2025.”
With an annualized turnover of over EUR 40 million, 2024 marks another successful auction year for Grisebach.
* All results incl. premium