Now in its fourth year, the "ORANGERIE Ausgewählte Objekte" (ORANGERIE Selected Objects) is breaking the mould for the public's revived interest in old art. After a sensational presentation at the Villa Grisebach on the occasion of the preview and with a renewed increase in demand among the room bidders in the auction, the sales rate is 75%.
The auction got off to a lively start with the market-fresh miniature "The Fall of Man", which was attributed to Daniel Fröschel, painter at the court of Emperor Rudolf II, after extensive research. A major museum in the USA secured this Kunstkammer piece for 47,500 euros.
The price of Richard Müller's nude "Circe" also doubled compared to the starting price. This major work by the painter went to a German collector for 125,000 euros.
Small pieces of furniture from 18th century France and mid-century design objects were also in demand, which particularly appealed to GRISEBACH's young clientele.
In contrast, the result of the cylinder bureau by Abraham Roentgen (75,000 euros) remained in line with the market trend. This shows how favourably top works of furniture art can be acquired at the moment. With a hammer price below the limit, the "Grand bureau de la Chine" in Boulle technique by Hendrik van Soest (75,000 euros) with its outstanding quality remained "undiscovered" by the general public and now delights a true connoisseur.
In the classical decorative arts category, works of art from Berlin Classicism finally achieved top prices again: These included a chandelier after Karl Friedrich Schinkel's design (50,000 euros) as well as the micromosaic krater vases by KPM (38,740 euros).
Further efforts are needed to revitalise this forgotten market, which GRISEBACH is passionately committed to.
The results of the ORANGERIE prove that works that are fresh to the market and secured by good provenance can be highly successful. For example, a Lombard Maria Lactans sculpture from a former and important art dealer in Madrid sold for 62,500 euros to a famous London art dealer. Almost all of the works from Hanns Eisler's estate went to a German museum and will be on permanent display in the future.
The next ORANGERIE auction will take place in autumn as part of the "30 years of GRISEBACH" anniversary auctions. The magazine-like catalogue and the "cross-over" of works of art from all genres and eras are intended to effectively showcase the extraordinary.
Dr. Stefan Körner
* All results incl. buyer's premium