Time for a new narrative: Grisebach’s approaching evening auction will bring modern art highlights into dialogue with contemporary positions. This heated juxtaposition will surely spark many surprises. Lovis Corinth’s powerfully moving still life, “Rosen, Tulpen, Flieder,” from 1916 (EUR 300,000-400,000) thus comes head to head with Roy Lichtenstein’s Claude Monet inspired work, “Water Lilies,” from 1992 (EUR 200,000-300,000). Arnulf Rainer’s sinister overpainting of Karl Kraus’ photographed death mask from 1984 (EUR 40,000-60,000) suddenly seems like a condensed abstract revival of Käthe Kollwitz’s haunting India ink drawing, “Tod,” (1897, EUR 150,000-200,000). Max Beckmann’s brilliant painting, “Kleine Landschaft aus Bandol,” (1938, EUR 300,000- 500,000) and Heinrich Kühn’s photograph, “Landschaft mit Linden,” (EUR 100,000-120,000) – a masterpiece of pictorialism – also form this particular kind of pairing with reciprocal charges. At the forefront of the selection of modern artworks is Marc Chagall’s 1979 piece, “Les fiancés aux anemones,” (EUR 1,000,000-1,500,000). This masterful late work, which showcases Chagall at the peak of his creative power, will be auctioned off to benefit the
Christian-Jewish charity organization KIRIAT YEARIM. An important testimony to Expressionism is Franz Marc’s artist postcard entitled, “Grünes und weißes Pferd” (1913, EUR 250,000- 350,000), as well as Max Pechstein’s, “Die hellgrüne Jacke,” from 1919 (EUR 400,000-600,000), which colourfully reflects the early Brücke paintings. The Contemporary Art collection is offering a top-quality selection of works by renowned German artists. For example, one of the most significant lead works by Günther Förg (“Ohne Titel”, 1991, EUR 250,000- 350,000) will be featured, alongside one of Gotthard Graubner’s particularly impressive glowing colour space bodies, his “bedecktes rot” from 2001 (EUR 100,000-150,000).
In contrast, the ORANGERIE auction entitled “Große Tiere – von animalisch bis politisch” stages a cross-over of the epochs. Wildlife diversity and state leaders amuse and polarize in design, photography, autographs and fine arts by a variety of artists including Jeff Koons, Emil Nolde, Pablo Picasso, Richard Wagner, Andy Warhol, Marlene Dietrich, and Louise Bourgeois. The Prussian King Frederick II appears in a carnival costume on a grandiose gold bracelet (1763/1863, EUR 40,000-60,000), while Portuguese contemporary artist, Joana Vasconcelos, merges animalistic power with human craftsmanship with her gigantic lizard (“O Desejado”, 2007, EUR 40,000- 60,000).
Leading the way in the photography auction is the collection of 70 portraits from “People of the 20th Century” by August Sander (EUR 300,000-500,000). Shortly before his death in 1961/63, Sander was able to make this selection for his last exhibition. The entire offering comes from a European corporate collection and also includes early photographs from the 19th century with Negres, Cameron, and Kühn to modern classics by Renger-Patzsch, Steinert, and Irving Penn.
Auction week traditionally begins on Wednesday, the 27th of November, with 19th Century Art. European art and museum history are united in a work of royal provenance: In 1849 King Ernst August I of Hanover acquired a major work by Hermann Kretzschmer, “Wüstensandsturm” (lot 128, EUR 120,000-150,000), which was on permanent loan to the Lower Saxony State Museum until recently. Furthermore, the drawing “Gebirgssee in südlicher Landschaft” distinguishes itself. It was created around 1810 by Johann Wolfgang Goethe (EUR 40,000-60,000) and once owned by the famous Berlin architect Johann Heinrich Strack. The Belvedere Gallery in Vienna restituted yet another gem from the collection of the publisher Rudolf Mosse: the “Parklandschaft in Plankenberg” from 1887 by Emil Jakob Schindler (EUR 50,000-70,000), is a major work of “poetic realism”. The famous artist had a soon to be (even) more famous daughter - Alma Mahler, lover of Gustav Mahler, Oskar Kokoschka, and Walter Gropius. Our painting shows her as a child picking the blossoming flowers in the family estate garden.
A total of 1,438 artworks, with an overall average estimate of EUR 20 million, will be offered in 8 catalogues on four auction days at Grisebach.
The preview in Berlin begins on November 22nd at Fasanenstraße 25, 27, and 73.
Micaela Kapitzky