‘In the Hills, South Texas’ by Julian Onderdonk brought the top price at the first Dallas Fine Art Auction, selling for $101,575. Image courtesy of Dallas Fine Art Auction. DALLAS – Dallas Fine Art Auction presented its first Western and Texas fine art auction, and proved to be a major player in both markets. With over 500 people in attendance, clients seemed to enjoy this new venture between Dallas Auction Gallery, David Dike Fine Art and Debbie Leeuw Fine Art.
The DFAA partnership began in 2010 with a goal to provide collectors and artists excellent service, personal attention and scholarly knowledge about Texas and Western art.
Scott Shuford, president of DAG said, “Dallas Fine Art Auction is the perfect way to showcase Texas and Western art through various fields of expertise and offer valuable service to artists and collectors. Dallas Fine Art Auction is proud of the results in both the Texas and Western Art categories. We would also like to thank all the contemporary artists that came to Dallas for the auction. It was a pleasure to have each one of you in our inaugural sale.”
The weekend kicked off with a cocktail reception on Friday evening, followed by a lecture Saturday morning by contemporary artist Jason Rich leading into the silent and live auction on Saturday afternoon.
Highlights from the sale included:
Julian Onderdonk (1882-1922), In the Hills, South Texas, 1912 oil on canvas. Canvas: 16 inches high x 24 inches wide; frame: 21.5 inches high x 29.5 inches wide. Signed lower right, “Julian Onderdonk.” Titled on verso. Presale estimate: $80,000-$120,000. Sale Price: 101,575.
Gordon Snidow (b. 1936), Heading for the Barn, 1981, gouache on board. Board: 24 inches high x 36 inches wide; frame: 34 inches high x 46 inches wide. Signed and dated lower right, “Snidow 1981.” Exhibited: Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Cowboy Artists of America, June 14-July 14, 1985. Gold Medal Winner Cowboy Artists of America, 1985. Estimate: $35,000-$45,000. Price: $53,775.
Charlie Dye (1906-1972), Calf Branding Time, oil on canvas. Canvas: 24 inches high x 30 inches wide; frame: 40.5 inches high x 45.5 inches wide. Signed lower right, “Charlie Dye.” Estimate: $30,000-$40,000. Price: $47,800.
Frank McCarthy (1924-2002), On the Banks of Little Big Horn, oil on canvas. Canvas: 18 inches high x 26 inches wide; frame: 28.5 inches x 36.5 inches wide. Signed lower left, “McCarthy.” Estimate: $20,000-$25,000. Price: $32,862.50.
Guiseppe D’angelico Pino (1939-2010), Glance, oil on canvas. Canvas: 40 inches high x 30 inches wide; frame: 47.5 inches high x 37.5 inches wide. Signed lower right, “Pino.” Estimate: $25,000-$35,000. Price: $35,850.
Paul Schumann (1876-1946), Harvesting Oysters, Galveston, oil on canvas laid on board. Board: 16 inches high x 20 inches wide; frame: 22.5 inches high x 26.5 inches wide. Signed lower right, “Paul Schumann.” Provenance: R. Prickett Collection. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000. Price: $44,812.50.
Jason Rich (b. 1971), A Good Place to Cross, oil on board. Board: 36 inches high x 48 inches wide; frame: 47 inches high x 58 inches wide. Signed lower left, “J. Rich.” Estimate: $18,000-$22,000. Price: $21,510.
Otis Dozier, (1904-1987), Untitled – goats on rocky ledge, 1964, oil on Masonite. Masonite: 23 inches high x 35.5 inches wide; frame: 29.5 inches high x 41.5 inches wide. “W. Signed and dated lower right, “Otis Dozier 64.” Estimate: $12,000-$18,000. Price: $22,705.
Charles Umlauf (1911-1994), Reclining Nude, 1958, bronze sculpture on rouge marble pedestal. Sculpture: 28 inches high x 68 inches long x 22.5 inches wide; pedestal: 31.5 inches high x 17.5 inches wide x 46 inches deep. Signed on bottom edge, “C. Umlauf.” Estimate: $15,000-$25,000. Price: $26,290.
Brian Grimm (b. 1968), Right Out of the Old West, oil on board. Board: 30 inches high x 40 inches wide; framed. Signed lower right, “Brian Grimm.” Estimate: $18,000-22,000. Price: $21,510.
‘Calf Branding Time’ by Charlie Dye sold for $47,800. Image courtesy of Dallas Fine Art Auction.Untitled – goats on rocky ledge by Otis Dozier sold for $22,705. Image courtesy of Dallas Fine Art Auction.‘A Good Place to Cross’ by Jason Rich sold for $21,510. Rich shows annually in the Prix de West and the Masters of the American West Exhibition. Image courtesy of Dallas Fine Art Auction.‘Glance’ by Guiseppe D’angelico Pino sold for $35,850. Image courtesy of Dallas Fine Art Auction.‘Heading for the Barn’ by Gordon Snidow sold for $53,775. Image courtesy of Dallas Fine Art Auction.
Country Federal worktable I recently had the opportunity to preview the inventory of a local auction in the small town where I live. This auction certainly won’t make the pages of the national trade press either for the uniqueness of the inventory or for the prices achieved but it was impressive in another way. I realized as I walked down the aisles mentally tabulating each piece by date and style – a habit I can’t break – I realized that any history class would benefit from such a stroll whether they were interested in furniture or not. Right there in a single room in a nondescript local auction were examples of pieces that were made during some major periods of American history. The people who initially used these items lived through the historic times whether they realized and appreciated it or not. And here was an opportunity to see a relatively broad array of these original pieces in reasonably good working condition. Here are some highlights (historically) of the inventory.
Federal/Empire transitional chest – Here was a chest of drawers made of solid cherry with tiger maple drawers on its way from being a Federal chest to its more formidable Empire form, circa 1815-1820. The second War of Independence, the War of 1812, had just been concluded but the peace treaty was still unsigned when this cabinet found its first home. Maine had just become a free state to counterbalance the impending admission of a slave state, Missouri, and James Monroe was re-elected president – with little opposition – despite the Panic of 1819.
Country Federal worktable 1840 – This simple stand with cherry legs and top and mahogany veneer drawer was made in the Federal style but by a competent woodworker who was not too familiar with the fine points. It was sturdy enough for country duty, and the leaf that would not drop all the way because of shrinkage in the top attested to its age. Around the time this table was made William Henry Harrison was elected president and promptly died from the effort, to be succeeded by John Tyler who subsequently survived an impeachment effort. Not much later Florida and Texas joined the Union.
Federal/Empire chest
Renaissance Revival chair 1875 – This mechanical looking example of the great revival of Italian architectural style was the successor to the flowery Rococo Revival of the Civil War period. After the war in the prosperity of the 1870s America celebrated the 100th birthday of the country at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, and this was the premier style of the event, the introduction to the Gilded Age of American history in the late 19th century.
Renaissance Revival chair
Eastlake folding rocker 1885 – Charles Locke Eastlake was an English designer who was a leader in the rebellion against Victorian excesses. He published his influential book Hints on Household Taste in England in 1868 and in the United States in the early 1870s. Even though Eastlake never actually designed a piece of furniture, his name is attached to one of America’s most produced styles. Multiple patents were issued in the 1870s and 1880s for folding chairs, and folding rockers were almost the ultimate technical furniture achievement of the period.
Eastlake folding rocker
Parlor set 1900 – While parlor sets of the mid-century had included seven or more pieces, by the end of the century they were down to usually three pieces. This was the period of the great catalog mail-order houses like Sears and Montgomery Ward, and much of America’s furniture was shipped by rail so some contraction was required. The United States quickly won the Spanish-American War. President William McKinley was assassinated in 1901and was succeeded by Vice President Teddy Roosevelt.
Parlor set
Cabinet bed 1902 – This folding cabinet bed was illustrated in the 1902 Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog. This was the year of the first college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl between Stanford and Michigan and the first movie theater in the country opened in Los Angeles.
Folding bed
Hoosier style cabinet 1910 – This was the successor to the possum-belly baker’s cabinet of the late 19th century. This one, the Ideal, was made by the Vincennes Furniture Manufacturing Co. of Vincennes, Ind., around 1910. This year the Boy Scouts of America was founded and the following year both the air conditioner and the electric automobile starter were invented. Soon Arizona would be a state and the Panama Canal would open.
Hoosier-style cabinet
Oak hall tree 1915 – One of the last vestiges of the Golden Oak era of American furniture this massive oak hall tree was made just after World War I broke out in Europe in 1914. Woodrow Wilson was elected president the next year, 1916, and Albert Einstein proposed his General Theory of Relativity.
Oak hall tree
Edison Amberola 1918 – While most music boxes had turned to shellac disks by 1909 Edison clung to his cylinder players and introduced the 4-minute version called the Amberol. His new internal horn player, introduced in 1911, was called the Amberola. This is an Amberola 30, introduced in 1915 and continued to be made as late as 1925. This was the Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was the icon of the period. It was a pleasant interlude before the stock market crash of 1929.
Edison Amberola
Priscilla 1930 – After the market crash and the beginning of the Great Depression much attention was turned to homemade clothing. The home tailor’s helper was the portable sewing basket called the Priscilla named after an early century sewing machine and it publication The Modern Priscilla. Unemployment was 25 percent and the average annual salary was $1,368. The Dust Bowl had devastated the agricultural community of the Midwest starting a westward migration. Herbert Hoover would soon be displaced by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
American history can be found anywhere from museums to the old building around the block. I just happened to find an interesting source at an auction, not as a buyer or seller but as a student.
Send comments, questions and pictures to Fred Taylor at P.O. Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423 or info@furnituredetetcive.com. Visit Fred’s website at www.furnituredetective.com. His book How To Be a Furniture Detective is available for $18.95 plus $3 shipping. Send check or money order for $21.95 to Fred Taylor, P.O. Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423. Fred and Gail Taylor’s DVD, Identification of Older & Antique Furniture ($17 + $3 S&H) is also available at the same address. For more information call (800) 387-6377, fax 352-563-2916, or info@furnituredetective.com. All items are also available directly from his website.
Harold Winfield Scott (American 1898-1977), oil on canvas, illustration for cover of ‘Street and Smith’s Western Story.’ Image courtesy of William J. Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers. CHESTER, N.Y. – William Jenack J. Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers will open a new season Sunday, Feb. 20, with an auction composed of vintage watches, jewelry, Chinese art, 18th- through 20th-century furniture and decorative accessories, carpets, sculpture and much more.
In addition to live bidding at the gallery at 62 Kings Highway Bypass, LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding. The sale will commence at 11 a.m. Eastern.
Artwork will be the strongest part of the sale and will include such artist’s as Harold Winfield Scott, Armand Schonberger, Ray G. Ellis, Peggy Dodds and Paul Cornoyer.
Included are three oil paintings by Harold Winfield Scott, mostly 1940s cover art illustrations for Street and Smith’s Western Story magazine. If recent results for Paul Cornoyer’s artwork hold true, this small oil on canvas of a New York Street could fly past the modest estimate of $2,000-$3,000. The Schonberger is a small watercolor of a village.
There will also be several lots of old master-style drawings, several 18th-century works, and vintage and antique icons.
A collection of watches and jewelry is expected to perform well. The watches go from the unusual to the erotic with one watch that, let’s just say it has a back that has an interesting way of counting the seconds off. Included are a vintage Waltham watch with a Masonic theme; a Mudu triple date, moon phase wristwatch; a 14K white gold LeCoultre Mystery wristwatch; a Rolex Tudor Prince wristwatch; a Universal Geneve Tri-Compax Chronograph wristwatch; a LeCoutre 14K Memovox alarm wristwatch; an E. Fisher Crake Lowestoft Fuxee Masonic pocket watch; a Henry Sandoz repeater/chronograph pocket watch; and an Omega chronograph pocket watch.
Perhaps one of the more spectacular pieces of jewelry will be an antique silver, gold, diamond and pearl tiara, circa 1880, which would be a lovely gift for the prom queen or for a quinceanera celebration. It consists of 52 full-cut diamonds in shades of white, yellow, brown, light pink and light green along with 80 rough-cut diamonds and seven pearls; approximate total weight of diamonds 13.5 carats. The other lot of interest is a Boucheron gold and silver gem set compact evening bag combination, circa 1949.
This is an eclectic sale with something for everyone and a price range that all can afford, said Kevin Decker, associate appraiser.
Preview will be held at the William Jenack auction facility Feb. 16-19 from noon to 5 p.m. and the day of sale 9-10:45 a.m. For details email kevin@jenack.com or call (845) 469-9095.
Paul Cornoyer (American 1864-1923), View in New York City. Image courtesy of William J. Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.Attributed to Livio Mehus (Oudenaarde/Florence 1630-1691), ‘Creation of Adam,’ oil on canvas laid on panel. Image courtesy of William J. Jenack Estate Appraisers and Auctioneers.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – A piece of public art that prompted an outcry in Portland, Maine, is going to be dismantled.
The City Council voted Monday night against spending $30,000 to $50,000 to move Tracing the Fore from Boothby Square to a new location. That means the creation of Boston artist Shauna Gillies-Smith will be removed altogether.
The sculpture, which was installed five years ago, features metal waves seeded with tall grass. The idea was that the grass would sweep over the waves, representing the Fore River, which flows into Casco Bay. Critics quickly took aim, and it didn’t help when weeds sprouted. One critic described the work as “metal shards” rising from “a weed-infested park.”
Councilor John Anton told the Portland Press Herald that he doesn’t view the unanimous vote as a repudiation of public art. He says it’s “like with everything – you win some and you lose some.”
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Skiers will compete at Vermont’s Suicide Six ski resort using vintage equipment much like that pictured in this circa 1935 poster by Sascha Maurer. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers Archive and Swann Auction Galleries. WOODSTOCK, Vt. (AP) – It’s antique skiing time at Vermont’s Suicide Six ski resort.
An antique ski race held each year as part of the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum’s annual fun weekend is set for Feb. 13.
The race has three categories: wooden, metal/fiberglass and “strictly vintage.”
The rules: All skis must predate 1975, and “strictly vintage” competitors must ski in pre-1975 boots, bindings and skis. The two-run slalom begins at 10:30 a.m., with awards to the top three male and female finishers in each category.
On Feb. 12, there’ll be a vintage snowboard demonstration featuring the “Snurfer,” the sport’s original prototype board, which will be on display along with other old boards.
Proceeds from the weekend benefit the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum, in Stowe.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Rolex white gold Super President man’s wristwatch, $26,400. Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers image. HOUSTON – Morton Kuehnert Auctioneers & Appraisers’ fine jewelry and coin auction was a great reminder that designer jewelry does well at auction. In the winner’s circle at the Jan. 30 auction was Lot 42, a man’s Rolex white gold Super President watch that sold for $26,400. All prices include the buyer’s premium.
Lot 44, a man’s 18K yellow gold diamond encrusted Rolex Super President went for $24,000. Lot 54, a man’s 18K gold Rolex GMT, went for $22,800. Lot 12, a man’s vintage 18K yellow gold Rolex Submariner sold for $21,600. Lot 61, a man’s two-tone diamond bracelet, sold for $3,600.
Lot 57, a woman’s 18K yellow gold Rolex President watch with diamonds, sold for $10,200. Lot 22, a woman’s 18K yellow gold Rolex President sold for $6,000.
A vintage woman’s 18K yellow gold diamond Rolex, Lot 48, sold for $3,900. Lot 50, a woman’s Cartier 18K yellow gold Tank Watch, sold for $3,000.
Lot 17, an 18K yellow gold diamond wedding set sold for $4,800. Lot 4, an 18K white gold sapphire and diamond necklace realized $4,500. A woman’s diamond and emerald dinner ring, Lot 40, sold for $3,600. Lot 29, a pair of 3-carat diamond earrings, sold for $1,920.
In the coin arena, Lots 74, 75 and 76, the 1989, 1986 and 1986 24K Chinese Panda gold coin sets, each realized $3,050. Lot 77, the 1985 version, brought $3,900 and Lot 78, the 1983 set raised $4,200. Lot 82, a 1987 set of four gold coins from the California Gold Rarities Mint brought $3,000.
To view results of the entire sale go to www.mortonkuehnert.com/auctions/archives.
The Imperial Porcelain Factory created a deep red oxblood or sang de boeuf glaze, in imitation of the Chinese. This presentation Easter egg, circa 1915, bearing the gilded cipher of Nicholas II, sold for $7,200 last May. Courtesy Jackson’s International Auctioneers. Every era has cutting edge technology, and nations have always bought, borrowed or stolen the best for their regimes. Today we might list computers, communications and armaments as areas of high tech achievement.
Czar Peter the Great, who began his rule in 1682, certainly wanted the latest weapons to defend the Russian Empire, but next on his want list may have been the industrial secret for making fine tableware. Duplicating the beauty and durability of Chinese porcelain had become a national quest for European states.
“Russian rulers pursued the secret of manufacturing true porcelain as avidly as kings and princes in the rest of Europe,” states curator Anne Odom in Russian Imperial Porcelain at Hillwood. “For Russians, the production of porcelain became a touchstone of the country’s campaign to Westernize.”
Factories already making porcelain in Europe, many under state patronage, tried to protect their great industrial secret. Peter first lured away someone who had worked at the Meissen works in Germany, who failed to produce as promised.
Around 1746, Dmitrii Vinogradov, a young Russian who had studied abroad, produced a successful formula. His experiments were aided by the fact that there were good sources of kaolin – a principal ingredient for hard paste porcelain – located in Russia.
Following this discovery, Russian porcelain production continued under the czars for over 150 years. Extensive table services, decorative urns, figurines and symbolic Easter eggs were commissioned by the nobility. The finest decorators were recruited from Europe to paint the porcelain.
As would be expected, early decorative styles resembled work at important European factories such as Meissen and Sevres. Decorative schemes included landscapes and mythological themes as well as flora and fauna.
For example, a tea and coffee service in the Hillwood Museum collection, made 1801-1815 in the reign of Alexander I, has well-painted panels with Italian views accented by highly detailed gilding. Other services are decorated with Russian subjects – views of St. Petersburg or portraits of people in native costume from various parts of the Empire.
An interesting development under Nicholas I, who ruled 1825-1855, was the rise of a distinctive style of ornamentation based on historic Russian styles. Artists were sent out to copy decorative patterns on material in the state treasury and important early churches. This pan-Russian style remained popular throughout the 19th century.
Odom explains, “When he commissioned the Kremlin Service in 1837, Nicholas introduced a new source of ornament into the rich vocabulary of Russian decorative arts, making use for the first time of Old Russian motifs from the 17th century, dating to a period before Peter came to the throne.”
The Kremlin Service mentioned above was designed for elaborate state dinners which might seat 500 guests at one time. Thousands of individually painted plates were made for the set, which took over 10 years to complete. Any piece is a collector’s treasure.
Marjorie Merriweather Post, the famous cereal heiress, was an enthusiastic early collector of Russian porcelain and decorative arts. Her treasures, including examples from important table services, are on view at her former residence in Washington, D.C., now called the Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens.
The museum’s website, www.hillwood.org, presents an overview of exhibitions and resources and includes an informative introductory film. The Hillwood book shop offers important catalogs and essays on the Post collections. In addition to Russian Imperial Porcelain at Hillwood¸ collectors will enjoy A Taste for Splendor: Russian Imperial and European Treasures from the Hillwood Museum, and What Became of Peter’s Dream?: Court Culture in the Reign of Nicholas II.
Like many collectors of her day, Post’s attention first had been focused on French furniture and decorative arts. When her husband Joseph Davies became ambassador to the Soviet Union in 1937, she was able to acquire Russian porcelain, paintings, icons, and even imperial Easter eggs at a time when they were seriously undervalued in the marketplace.
Contrast those days with the present antiques market, in which Russian entrepreneurs delight in buying back the fine and decorative arts of their homeland. Christie’s and Sotheby’s in New York and London have had great success with sales of Russian porcelain and metalwork, but the Internet makes it possible for collectors to unearth important lots wherever they appear.
Jackson’s, a major regional auction house in Cedar Falls, Iowa, has achieved this international reach. Cataloged auctions in May and October 2010, each more than a thousand lots, featured the Russian collections of Dr. James F. Cooper and Dr. Brad LeMay. Both collections had been formed from excellent sources, and bidders battled over important examples of porcelain, holy icons, enameled metalwork, silver and militaria.
During his travels in a previous career as an advertising executive, company president James L. Jackson had developed a strong interest in Russian art. In a recent interview, he said, “I knew a lot about the auction business, how it worked as a buyer and a seller, and I had expertise in certain areas. I traveled extensively in Russia.
“In 1993 I quit my job and decided to buy a building. I was forward thinking enough to know you didn’t have to be in New York. You could be somewhere where the cost of doing business was much less. What if everything that went to auction in the Midwest – that I would want – came to me?”
When the Russian collecting boom began around 2000, Jackson was ideally placed to capture his share of the market.
“There were really only a few places that could handle Russian material, know what it was and properly describe it.
“Russia, in the late 19th and early 20th century, did see the growth of a middle class. They were so close to getting their act together. Nicholas II was a soft-spoken, compassionate czar, but a weak leader. Between 1875 and 1915, the amount of art produced in every field was fantastic – ceramics, wood, paintings, sculpture. These things are truly unique to Russia and very beautiful.”
Jackson said, “Last year, we were fortunate enough to have two lifetime collections of two American physicians – one from St. Louis and one from Arkansas. They were typical of those quiet unseen buyers who form great collections.”
These old collections coming fresh to the market drew competitive bids from dealers and collectors in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Highlights are illustrated below, while the complete catalogs with results can be viewed at www.jacksonsauction.com.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Visitors to Hillwood Museum and Gardens in Washington, D.C., can view Marjorie Merriweather Post’s superb collection of Russian porcelain, paintings and decorative arts. Among the treasures is a pair of magnificent gilded vases decorated with pigeons that were made during the reign of Nicholas I (1825-1855). Courtesy Hillwood Museum & Gardens.The Kremlin service of Nicholas I (1825-1855) is densely decorated with historic Russian artistic motifs and features the Imperial double-headed eagle in a central cartouche. This plate sold in October at Jackson’s for $3,120. Courtesy Jackson’s International Auctioneers.Made during the reign of Alexander II (1855-1881), this tete-a-tete tea service with original fitted traveling case was sold at Jackson’s in May for $25,200 with buyer’s premium. The set with quatrefoil tray is decorated with delicate sprays of violets and gilt tracery. Courtesy Jackson’s International Auctioneers.This porcelain plate with winter scenes and pan-Slavic strapwork on the border was made circa 1890 by Kornilov Brothers factory for export to Tiffany New York. Although a commercial product, the attractive subject matter took the plate to $4,800 at Jackson’s auction in October.In addition to tableware, Russian porcelain manufacturers created colorful character figurines. This coachman from the Gardner factory, circa 1820-1850, brought $6,504. Courtesy Jackson’s International Auctioneers.This tureen banded in blue, dated 1897, was part of a special service made for the Imperial yacht Tsarevna. The elegant serving dish brought $3,120 last fall. Courtesy Jackson’s International Auctioneers.
Markus Eisenbeis, Direktor und Auktionator von Van Ham Kunstauktionen, Köln und Vorstandsmitglied des Bundesverbands deutscher Kunstversteigerer Foto freundlichst überlassen von Van Ham Kunstauktionen | Edgar R. Schöpal.
Gegen mindestens 4 Personen wird im mutmasslichem Kunstfälscherskandal in Deutschland ermittelt. Im bedauerlichen Fall wurden Kunstexperten und bedeutende Kunsthäuser düpiert. Der Schaden könnte sich auf mehrere Millionen Euros belaufen.
In Anbetracht dieser Umstände ist es nicht überraschend, dass der Bundesverband deutscher Kunstversteigerer (BDK) Kunstfälschungen bekämpft. “Die Datenbank der kritischen Werke wurde von mir vor ca. 5 Jahren für den Bundesverband der Deutschen Kunstversteigerer (BDK) initiiert” berichtete Markus Eisenbeis, Direktor und Auktionator von Van Ham Kunstauktionen Köln. Ursprünglich stellte er sich die Datenbank als einen Platz vor, in dem die Mitglieder des BDK Informationen über fragliche Kunstwerke eingeben und teilen konnten.
Die Datenbank war nicht als Verzeichnis vergessener Kunstwerke gedacht, sondern als Verzeichnis von Kunstwerken mit einer zweifelhaften Herkunft oder mit einer problematischen Vergangenheit. Die Informationen aus der Datenbank sollte nur den BDK Mitgliedern zur Verfügung stehen und von diesen erweitert werden.
“Da die Akzeptanz jedoch hinter meinen Erwartungen lag, liess ich mir als Vizepräsident des BDK im Dezember 2009 von den Mitgliedern das Budget für eine Projektstelle genehmigen. Diese ist auf diverse Experten, Künstlererben und –archive zugegangen, um deren erfasste Fälschungen in die Datenbank einpflegen zu lassen. Somit sind mittlerweile über 1.000 Werke eingepflegt und die Datenbank steht auf einem soliden Fundament, das jedoch stets weiter ausgebaut wird”.
Eisenbeis und der BDK zeigen sich auch weiter rechtlich und finanziell dafür verantwortlich, falls die Datenbank um andere deutsche Kunstorganisationen erweitert werden sollte. Nur wenn die Zusammenarbeit und die finanzielle Unterstützung der deutschen Kunstorganisationen an der richtigen Stelle gebündelt wird, wird die Datenbank mit anderen internationalen Kunstorganisationen verlinkt, sagte Eisenbeis vorausschauend. Das Teilen dieser Informationen mit anderen Kunstfachleuten könnte die Ausdehnung von Fälschungen auf der internationalen Kunstszene massiv aufhalten.
Im Falle des angeblichen deutschen Kunstfälscherskandals war die Vorgehensweise besonders hinterhältig. Niemand wird so unverfroren sein und in einer Galerie oder in einem Auktionshaus eine Kopie von Leonardo DaVinci’s Mona Lisa anbieten. Das wäre zu offensichtlich gewesen. Statt dessen wurden weniger bekannte Künstler des frühen 20. Jahrhunderts wie Johannes Molzahn, Heinrich Campendonk, Max Pechstein und andere gewählt. Die Gemälde galten als unbekannt, erschienen nicht im Verzeichnis der Künstler und waren nie fotografiert worden. Die Herkunft war überzeugend, aber erfunden.
“In Wirklichkeit ist es oft nur sehr schwer möglich, wenn man keine Informationen vom Einlieferer erhält. Oft sind es die Erben, die einliefern und die Stücke undokumentiert geerbt haben und auch selber kein Wissen um die Gegenstände haben”, sagte Eisenbeis.
“Dies gilt allgemein für das untere Preissegment, insbesondere für das Kunstgewerbe, da es sich hierbei oft nicht um Unikate handelt”, so Eisenbeis.
Eisenbeis empfiehlt, dass Leute, die authentische künstlerische Arbeiten suchen, nicht versuchen sollten ein Schnäppchen zu machen, sondern nur bei seriösen Auktionshäusern und Kunsthändlern kaufen sollten. Sie sollten, wenn möglich ein Zertifikat von einem international bekannten Kunstexperten erhalten.
Bei allen Künstlern, deren Arbeit teuer ist, besteht die Gefahr der Fälschungen. Insbesondere werden bei solchen Künstlern oft nicht die Ölgemälde, sondern Aquarelle und Zeichnungen gefälscht, da diese oft nicht vollständig dokumentiert sind. Gefahr besteht auch bei Künstlern, um die sich nicht ein kompetenter Nachlass bzw. ein Archiv kümmert.”
Als Auktionator tritt Eisenbeis sorgfältig heran, wenn ein Meisterwerk von Rubens oder Picasso einem deutschen Auktionshaus angeboten wird. Er ist genug realistisch, nicht zu glauben, dass es ein erstes auserlesenes Meisterwerk ist Er hält Misstrauen für angebracht, wenn teure Kunst preiswert angeboten wird und es keine Konkurrenz gibt. Gemälde, über 100 Jahre alt im perfekten Zustand, lassen bei ihm ebenso die Alarmglocken klingen wie seltene Arbeiten, die zu oft auftauchen.
“Wir haben z.B. im Frühjahr 2010 ein Gemälde des Expressionisten Arnold Topp aus dem Jahr 1918 versteigert. Im Herbst wurde uns wieder ein Gemälde aus diesem Jahr angeboten. Ein anderes Auktionshaus hatte auch im Frühjahr 2010 ein Werk aus dem Jahr 1918. Diesen Kollegen habe ich im Herbst kontaktiert und auch er hatte wieder ein Werk aus dem Jahr 1918. Beide Werke haben wir naturwissenschaftlich untersuchen lassen. Eines stellte sich dabei als Fälschung heraus (Gott sei Dank nicht von unserem Auktionshaus).”
Wissenschaftliche Methoden scheinen Fälschungen aufdecken zu können. Eines der Gemälde des angeblichen Kunstfälscherskandals enthält wohl eine Farbrezeptur, welche zum Zeitpunkt der Herstellung des Werkes nicht erhältlich war. Die moderne Farbe war der Ansatzpunkt, der zu weiteren Ermittlungen führte. Und während der volle Umfang des Schadens noch nicht bekannt ist, können sogar Museensammlungen betroffen sein. Unterdessen setzen Eisenbeis und die BDK ihr Projekt fort, um den Kauf von echten Kunstwerken sicherer zu gestalten. Eisenbeis erwartet, die Gespräche mit anderen deutschen Kunstorganisationen dieses Jahr wieder aufzunehmen, um die BDK- Datenbank der fraglichen Arbeiten zu erweitern.
Ergebnisse
Die Hoffmeister-Sammlung Meissner Porzellans, welche bei Bonham (London) angeboten war, erzielte einen Auktionserlös von 3.553.000 Euros. Der Verkauf brachte viele Stücke in den Besitz der ursprünglichen Familien, die diese einstmals besassen. Prinzessin Gloria von Thurn und Taxis holte einen Meissner Unterteller mit einem Wappen für einen Zuschlag von 6.390 EUR zurück, der für Thurn und Taxis hergestellt worden war. Nur zwei andere notierte Stücke dieses Wappengedeckes existieren noch.
Ein anderes erstaunliches Auktionsresultat im Dezember 2010 war der Hammerpreis für das „Kinderköpfchen“ von Ernst Ludwig Kirchner bei Ketterer Kunst, München.
Diese Übergangsarbeit des Expressionisten aus dem Jahre 1906 erzielte nach seiner Schätzung von 400.000 EUR dann 1.740.000 EUR.
Doebele Galerie & Kunstauktionen sind in ihre neue Zweigniederlassung in der Gartenstraβe 3c, Berlin gezogen. Der Raum ist in der Nähe ihrer existierenden Galerie, die gegenwärtig Max Ackermann – Finale Pastelle zeigt.
15. und 16. Februar: Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger, München. 1.400 antike Kunstobjekte aus Glas, Stein, Ton und Metall; 17. und 19. Februar: Münzen und Medaillen. www.Coinhirsch.de
März
3. und 4. März: Yves Siebers Auktionen GmbH, Stuttgart. Kunst, Antiquitäten und Spielzeug, einschliesslich der Sammlung Großherzogliche Majolika-Manufaktur wie M. Heinze, W. Süss und A. Müller www.Siebers-Auktionen.de
5. März: Schmidt Kunstauktionen, Dresden. Gemälde des 17.-19. Jh., Porzellan, Antiquitäten und Kunsthandwerk www.Schmidt-Auktionen.de
12. März: Leipziger Münzhandlung und Auktion Heidrun Höhn. Münzen und Medaillen.
www.Numismatik-Online.de
14. bis 17. März Sotheby’s, Amsterdam; Auktion Rai Theatre, Amsterdam. Wohltätigkeitsversteigerung vom Eigentum der Königin Juliana der Niederlande. www.Sothebys.com
26. März: Auction Team Breker, Köln. Photographica und Film. www.Breker.com
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Die bedeutende impressionistische Arbeit ‚Kinderköpfchen’ von Ernst Ludwig Kirchner wurde für 1.740.000 Euros von Ketterer Kunst in München verkauft. Foto freundlichst überlassen von Ketterer Kunst.Robert H. Sterl ‚Bauernjunge vor Strohballen,’ Öl auf Leinwand, 1892. Foto freundlichst überlassen von Schmidt Kunstauktionen.
Markus Eisenbeis, director and auctioneer for Van Ham Kunstauktionen, Cologne, and board member of the Bundesverband deutscher Kunstversteigerer. Photo courtesy Van Ham Kunstauktionen | Edgar R. Schöpal. The count is now up to four people charged in the alleged art forgery scandal playing out in Germany. The unfortunate case involves paintings which may have duped art experts and major auction houses. Damages could run into the millions of euros.
In light of this, it is not surprising that the most important agenda item for the Bundesverband deutscher Kunstversteigerer (BDK) is “Fighting Forgeries.” The organized group of German art auction houses has actually been doing this for some time.
“I initiated the Databank of Questionable Works (Datenbank der kritischen Werke) about five years ago for the BDK,” said Markus Eisenbeis, director and auctioneer for Van Ham Kunstauktionen, Cologne.
He originally envisioned the databank as a place where the members of the BDK could enter and share information on questionable works of art. The database was not meant to be a list of forged works, but a list of pieces with a doubtful provenance or problematic histories. The information in the databank was to be maintained and expanded only by BDK members.
“However, because the acceptance of this lagged behind my expectations, I permitted the databank to become a budgeted project when I was vice president of the BDK in 2009,” said Eisenbeis. “The funds went to diverse experts, artist heirs and archives to enter recorded forgeries into the databank. Consequently there are meanwhile over 1,000 works documented and the database has a solid foundation for further expansion.”
Eisenbeis and the BDK are still weighing the legal and financial responsibility required if the databank is expanded to include other German art organizations. Only when the cooperation and financial support of the German art organizations are in place, does Eisenbeis foresee linking the database to other art organizations internationally. The sharing of this information with other art professionals could greatly hinder the incidence of forgeries on the international art scene.
In the case of the alleged German art forgery scandal, the operational tactics were especially insidious. No one walked into a gallery carrying a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. That would have been too obvious. Instead, lesser known artists of the early 20th century were targeted – Johannes Molzahn, Heinrich Campendonk and Max Pechstein, among others. The paintings were considered to be unknown, not appearing in the artist’s own inventories and never having been photographed. Provenance was convincing, but fictional.
“In reality it is only possible to prove provenance with much difficulty, when one gets no information from the person who brings in (the artwork). Often it is the heir who has inherited the piece with no documentation and also has no knowledge himself of where the work has come from,” said Eisenbeis. “This is generally valid for the lower price segment, especially for Arts and Crafts pieces that are often not one-of-a-kind.”
Eisenbeis recommends that people shopping for authentic artwork never try to find a bargain, and buy only through serious auction houses and art dealers. They should have, whenever possible, a certificate written by an internationally known art expert.
“With artists whose work is expensive, there is the danger of forgery. With such artists it is often not the oil paintings, but especially the watercolors and drawings that are forged, because these are often not completely documented,” said Eisenbeis. “There is also danger with artists who have not left a competent estate, for example not taken care to archive their work.”
As auctioneer, Eisenbeis treads carefully when a masterwork from Rubens or Picasso is offered to a German auction house. He is realistic enough not to imagine it is a first choice masterwork. He recommends suspicion when important, expensive artwork is offered for value prices and there is no competition to buy it. Paintings over 100 years old in perfect condition also set off warning bells for him, as do rare works that pop up too often.
“In early 2010, for example, we auctioned a painting by Expressionist Arnold Topp from the year 1918. In autumn we were again offered a painting from this year. Another auction house also had a work in early 2010 from 1918,” said Eisenbeis. “In autumn I contacted my colleague from the other auction house, and he also had a second work from 1918. When both pieces were scientifically examined, one was determined to be a forgery. Thank God not the one from our auction house.”
Science, it seems, can be very revealing. One of the paintings involved in the alleged forgery scandal is said to contain a paint color formulation that was not available at the time the work was supposedly painted. This stroke of modern color was the red flag that led to further investigation. And while the full extent of the damage is not yet known, even museum collections may be effected.
Meanwhile Eisenbeis and the BDK continue their project to make the purchase of authentic artwork more secure. Eisenbeis expects to resume talks with other German art organizations this year in order to further expand the BDK Database of Questionable Works.
The Final Tally
The Hoffmeister Collection of Meissen Porcelain, auctioned in three sales by Bonham’s London, gleaned close to a total of 3,553,000 euros (about $5 million). The sale put many of the pieces back into the hands of the original families who once owned them. Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis retrieved a Meissen saucer made for a Thurn und Taxis armorial service with a winning bid of just over 6,390 euros ($8,834). Only two other recorded pieces of this armorial service still exist.
Another astonishing auction result was the December 2010 hammer price for Kinderköpfchen by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner at Ketterer Kunst, Munich. This 1906 transitional Expressionist work breezed past its estimate of 400,000 euros (just over $550,000) to finish at 1,740,000 euros ($2,406,107).
In other news, Doebele Galerie + Kunstauktionen have moved into their new branch offices at Gartenstraβe 3 C in Berlin. The space is near their existing gallery, which is currently displaying “Max Ackermann – Late Pastels.”
Upcoming Auctions
February
15 – Quittenbaum Kunstauktionen, Munich. “La Dolce Vita“ Design und Murano Glass; The Dolf Selbach Collection of Jugendstil glass. www.Quittenbaum.de
15 and 16 – Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger, Munich. 1,400 Antique Art Objects in glass, stone, clay and metal.; Feb. 17 and 19. Coins and Medallions. www.Coinhirsch.de
March
3 and 4 – Yves Siebers Auktionen GmbH, Stuttgart. Art, Antiques and Toys, including the collection of Majolica Manufacturers like M. Heinze, W. Süss and A. Müller. www.Siebers-Auktionen.de
5 – Schmidt Kunstauktionen, Dresden. Artwork from the 17th to 21st Century. www.Schmidt-Auktionen.de
12 – Anticomondo GmbH, Cologne. Toy Auction. www.Anticomondo.de
12 – Leipziger Münzhandlung und Auktion Heidrun Höhn. Coins and Medallions. www.Numismatik-Online.de
14 to 17 – Preview at Sotheby’s, Amsterdam; auction at the Rai Theatre, Amsterdam. Property from the Estate of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands to be sold for the benefit of charity. www.Sothebys.com
26 – Auction Team Breker, Cologne. Photographica and Film. www.Breker.com
ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
The important Expressionist work ‘Kinderköpfchen’ by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner sold for 1,740,000 euros at Ketterer Kunst in Munich. Photo courtesy Ketterer Kunst.Robert H. Sterl, ‘Farm Boy With Straw Bales,’ oil on canvas, 1892. Photo courtesy Schmidt Kunstauktionen.
‘The Popcorn Man’ by Carl Gaertner (American 1898-1952) sold for $230,690. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers and Rachel Davis Fine Arts.
BEREA, Ohio (AP) – An Ohio college has made $1.4 million selling off an art collection it wasn’t displaying and was anxious about storing.
Baldwin-Wallace College had more than 1,700 paintings and prints, including a lithograph by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein and works by James A.M. Whistler. Spokesman George Richard told The Plain Dealer newspaper of Cleveland that the suburban liberal arts school was “one sewer backup” from having the collection destroyed, and he says that would have been irresponsible.
The college consigned the pieces to the Rachel Davis Fine Arts in Cleveland. The Popcorn Man, a 1930 oil painting by Clevelander Carl Gaertner, sold in 2009 for $230,690, including the buyer’s premium.
Crying Girl, a 1963 signed Roy Lichtenstein lithograph, sold for $30,680 at auction. Lichtenstein live and worked in Cleveland early in his career.
The college has an art gallery but only for exhibitions, not permanent displays. Richard said Baldwin-Wallace had been storing the art collection without temperature or humidity controls needed for preservation.
He said most of the sale proceeds will go toward campus improvements. The college has put $100,000 into an endowment for the art department.
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Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-CS-02-07-11 0828EST
ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
‘The Popcorn Man’ by Carl Gaertner (American 1898-1952) sold for $230,690. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers and Rachel Davis Fine Arts.
Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.
