Grisebach is looking back at a highly successful autumn season with an overall result of 20 mil.* The first record was already broken on the very first day of the four day auction marathon during the Photography auction. August Sander’s 70-part photo series, “Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts,” was sold for a phenomenal EUR 949,000 (estimated at EUR 300,000). The lower total estimate of the auction was doubled.
There were surprises at the highly anticipated 19th Century: The title lot, Max Pietschmann’s magnificent portrait of an academy model in Dresden from 1885, attracted 17 telephone bidders and several room bidders: It went into the American market for EUR 75,000 (estimated at EUR 6,000). Even more spectacular was the escalation from EUR 6,000 to EUR 102,500 for Osmar Schindler’s, “Germanischer Krieger mit Helm” from 1902 (Private, Europe).
The ORANGERIE auction was held under the theme “Große Tiere. Von animalisch bis politisch” [Big Animals. Big Shots]. In German this title has a double meaning, “Große Tiere,” literally means, “big animals,” but figuratively it can be translated to, “big shots”. This curated auction spanned many epochs and genres – such as the Chinese turtle from the Han Dynasty (EUR 33,750), to porcelain pugs from Meissen from 1749 (EUR 62,500), to Louise Bourgeois’ bronze paw from 1993 (EUR 45,000). This auction inspired not only the German-speaking public to bid; it brought in over 1.2 million euros. Emil Nolde’s Lioness (EUR 87,500), Richard Müller’s Prometheus with Vulture (EUR 56,250), as well as the multi-part photo installation of the “Alliierten,” by Frank Thiel (EUR 112,500) are indicative for the splendid results.
At the Modern Art auction the bids on Franz Marc’s postcard with a green and white horse galloped to world record heights: a South German private collector won the race with EUR 781,000 (estimated at EUR 250,000). Two museum masterpieces were Lovis Corinth’s “Selbstportrait am Walchensee” and Max Pechstein’s portrait of a woman “Die hellgrüne Jacke”, each of which went to North Rhine-Westphalia for EUR 525,000. The most expensive lot of the evening was Marc Chagall’s late work “Les fiancés aux anemones” from 1979. It went at auction with the “Selected Works” to a bidder for EUR 1,195,000, though subject to reservation. It was auctioned for the benefit of the Christian-Jewish relief organization Kiriat Yearim.
A well-attended room and numerous telephone bidders ensured an excellent sales quota in the Contemporary Art auction. The interest in contemporary art was already apparent during the “Selected Works” auction: Günter Förg’s “Bleibild” from 1991 went to a German collection for EUR 312,500 (estimated at EUR 250,000), and Gotthard Graubner’s Farbkissen went to a collector in Rhineland for EUR 175,000 (estimated at EUR 100,000). The enthusiasm in the auction room continued the following day: Kirkeby, “Untitled”, 1981, EUR 112,500 (estimate EUR 40,000), Lüpertz, “Triumph der Linie”, 1977, EUR 77,500 (estimate EUR 35,000), Genzken, “Weltempfänger”, EUR 52,500 (estimate EUR 25,000). To resounding applause, Thomas Zipp’s “Medicine #1” was auctioned for a grand total of EUR 81,250 (estimate EUR 6,000) in benefit of Christoph Schlingensief’s Operndorf Afrika.
Overall, Grisebach is very pleased with the results of this year’s Autumnal Auctions.
Micaela Kapitzky
* All results incl. premium