In summer temperatures, a painting full of freezing cold became the most expensive lot of the spring auctions at Grisebach in Berlin this week: Max Beckmann's "Tiergarten im Winter" doubled its lower estimate and was sold to a North American private collection for EUR 1.8 million (including buyer's premium) after a long bidding war.
The next highest hammer prices were achieved by two works of contemporary art: Andy Warhol's canvas "Four Times Mona Lisa" went to the American market for EUR 685,000 and Norbert Kricke's monumental sculpture "Große Fließende" realised the second highest price ever paid for Kricke at EUR 462,500. A total of EUR 17.7 million was realised in eight auctions over four days.
With numerous strong results for special works of Classical Modernism and Contemporary Art, the auctions demonstrated that Grisebach can build on long-term collector contacts and has also become an important partner for international trade.
Special works of art were paid for with special prices: Camille Pissarro's summery "Weg bei Louveciennes" went to a Berlin collection for 460,766 euros, Carl Hofer's graceful young woman to a southern German collection for 412,500 euros and Lovis Corinth's large "Liegender Akt" to the American market for 375,000 euros against numerous private bids.
Contemporary Art has now established itself as a second central pillar at Grisebach alongside Classical Modernism. With a new record number of telephone bidders and numerous very high hammer prices for paintings by Gotthard Graubner, Konrad Klapheck and Markus Lüpertz, the focus on German painting was honoured by the international collectors in the contemporary offering. Never before, for example, has a painting by Katharina Grosse sold for more at auction than at Grisebach (137,500 EUR).
Micaela Kapitzky