One of the main works in the Grisebach offer in Berlin is an important early work by Vincent van Gogh. Estimated at a moderate 600,000/800,000 euros, the portrait "Profile of a Peasant Woman" from 1885 is the most valuable work by Vincent van Gogh to come onto the market in Germany since 1945. The oil painting is related to van Gogh's first major work "The Potato Eaters". The complete provenance of the museum portrait goes back to the artist's sister - it last hung in a private flat in Bavaria for several decades.
In the "Selected Works" section, Paul Klee's "Das Haus zum blauen Stern" from 1920 (EUR 200,000/300,000) and the sun-drenched landscape painting "Ein Sonntag" by Max Pechstein (EUR 500,000/700,000), which was created at the same time, also stand out. With important paintings by Max Liebermann, Lovis Corinth, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Erich Heckel, Oskar Schlemmer, Karl Hofer and René Magritte, Grisebach is once again emphasising its position as the most important auction house for German Classical Modern art. The evening will conclude with Cy Twombly's large-format work from 1981 with an estimate of EUR 100,000/150,000.
The contemporary art on offer this time is particularly extensive: a special catalogue opens with forty works from the "Wandel Collection", all from the field of tension between abstract and concrete art, including a furious horizontal format by Hans Hartung from 1960 (EUR 70,000/90,000), one of the first volume paintings by the legendary Italian artist Dadamaino from 1958 (EUR 60,000/80,000) and the Arnulf Rainer painting "Die Gekämmte" from 1962 (EUR 60,000/80,000).
In addition, the "Contemporary" section offers a high-quality selection of works by ZERO artists that are highly coveted internationally. A rare painting by Eugen Schönebeck, a sensitive portrait by Maria Lassnig and a painting by Robert Rauschenberg from 1989 (EUR 100,000/150,000) will be offered on Friday. Several paintings by Günther Förg, a large-format photographic work by Andreas Gursky, an installation by the Dane Olafur Eliasson and striking works on paper by Sigmar Polke and Joseph Beuys round off the offer.
The 19th century is led by the painting "Phantasie aus der Alpenwelt" by Carl Gustav Carus from 1822 (EUR 180,000/240,000), created in direct dialogue with Caspar David Friedrich, and the suggestive portrait of a peasant girl by Wilhelm Leibl from 1897, which is estimated at EUR 200,000/300,000.
With over 1500 paintings, photographs, prints and sculptures, the spring auctions at Grisebach are the most extensive to date (eight catalogues). The average estimate is EUR 17.3 million.
Micaela Kapitzky