Two special paintings that have been in the family since the beginning of the 20th century will be auctioned in Berlin on 30 May: "Bright Roses" by Lovis Corinth from 1915, a vibrant floral still life painted with tremendous verve, is estimated at EUR 250,000-350,000. The painting has been in the family since 1917. Paula Modersohn-Becker's "Breast portrait of a girl facing left in front of birch trees" from 1903, which was owned by the artist's family for a long time, also deserves special attention (EUR 120,000-150,000), as do various coloured postcards by the Brücke artists Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Max Pechstein and Erich Heckel (up to EUR 25,000-35,000). Another enchanting rarity is the colourful greeting "Ibex in the Mountains" by Franz Marc from 1913 (EUR 40,000-60,000). Other discoveries in the modernist offering include Max Pechstein's "Still Life in Grey" from 1913 (EUR 500,000-700,000), Karl Schmidt-Rottluff's "Fish Smoking on a Railway Track" from 1937 (estimate EUR 400,000-600,000) and Georg Schrimpf's 1923 painting "Girl with Sheep" in New Objectivity (EUR 180,000-240,000). One year before his death, Paul Klee painted "Dryads" in oil on paper, which is estimated at EUR 400,000-600,000.
The Bauhaus is turning 100 - the ORANGERIE is joining in the celebrations and is also offering works of art that have been in the family for almost a century. Among them is a whole collection of prints, paintings and the so-called "Pädagogische Puppenstube" by Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack (EUR 8,000-10,000), allowing us to rediscover this great visionary of the Weimar Bauhaus: Outstanding is the original photograph for "Reflektorisches Farbenspiel" from 1923 (EUR 25,000-30,000), which was published in the famous Bauhaus book in 1927, shown at the MoMa in New York in 1938 and has now been consigned by the family. The heirs of Hamburg architect Fritz Block entrusted us with the iconic tea and coffee service by master goldsmith at the Bauhaus, Naum Slutzky, which was created in 1927 and accompanied the Blocks during their expulsion to Los Angeles (EUR 180,000-240,000). The "bauhaus forever!" auction spans the historical arc from the original Bauhaus lamp by Wilhelm Wagenfeld from 1924 (EUR 100,000-150,000) to László Moholy-Nagy's "Expressionist Composition" from 1946 (EUR 120,000-150,000), but is also dedicated to surprising predecessors and successors of the Bauhaus idea with a curious and delightful eye.
The main lot in the Contemporary Art auction is Gerhard Richter's painting from the "Fuji" series from 1996, a particularly powerful example for which the artist created a unique, complex and multi-layered colour surface using oil paint and a squeegee (EUR 300,000-400,000). Another highlight is the early colour cushion "Farbraumkörper" by Gotthard Graubner from 1972 (EUR 100,000-150,000). Ulrich Erben is one of the most important contemporary representatives of concrete painting in Germany. His work "Red and Blue" from 1988 is his first multicoloured painting in acrylic on canvas after a longer phase of monochrome and constructivist painting and marks the beginning of his series "Colours of Memory" (EUR 35,000-45,000). A special discovery is the work "Wool" by Rosemarie Trockel. She weaves the international Wooltrade sign designed by Francesco Saroglia into her wool carpet, an unusual material in contemporary art with traditionally feminine connotations (EUR 80,000-120,000).
The 19th century art department can also boast a high-quality offering: a masterpiece of Menzel's draughtsmanship is his work "Inneres der Stiftskirche zu Einsiedeln" from 1881, which is estimated at EUR 60,000-80,000. Carl Philipp Fohr's "Portrait of Ludwig Sigismund Ruhl" from 1816 is another masterpiece on paper (EUR 25,000-35,000) and an icon of early Romantic German draughtsmanship. A museum-quality oil painting by Fritz von Uhde, "Holländische Nähstube" from 1882 - the influence of French Impressionism and the proximity to Liebermann are unmistakable - is estimated at EUR 40,000-60,000. The two "typical" works for early Dresden painting by Carl Gustav Carus, the third main master of Dresden Romanticism, are estimated at EUR 25,000-35,000 ("Weidenstamm mit Unterholz", around 1820) and EUR 18,000-24,000 ("Tannen", around 1840).
There are special collector's items to be discovered in the photography section: an absolute rarity is the work "Triebwerk einer Lokomotive" from 1925 by Albert Renger-Patzsch (EUR 40,000-60,000). As the market for Renger-Patzsch is also growing internationally, his works are becoming increasingly sought-after. Irving Penn shaped photography like no other. "Young Berber Shepherdess, Morocco" from our auction, dated 1971, was sold by Vogue to the current owner at Natalia Vodianova's charity auction in favour of the Naked Heart Foundation, New York (EUR 50,000-70,000). From another great American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe - who was a close friend of Patti Smith - we will be auctioning the special still life "Rose with Smoke" from 1985 (EUR 30,000-40,000). Another top lot is František Drtikol's work "Composition au nu aux poires" from 1925 (EUR 40,000-60,000), an example of his typically "scenic" worlds.
A total of over 1,640 works of art with a total lower estimate of EUR 15.0 million will be auctioned at the spring auctions from 29 May to 1 June. The preview in Berlin begins on 24 May and ends on 28 May at three locations in Fasanenstrasse (25, 27, 73).
Micaela Kapitzky
Previews
Berlin, 24 to 28 May 2019
Grisebach, Fasanenstraße 25, 27 and 73
Fr. to Mon. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tue. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Spring auctions
29 May to 1 June 2019