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Karlheinz Kaupp sitzt zwischen den Schätzen für den Auktionshandel. Foto von Auktionshaus Kaupp.

Auction Talk Germany: Kaupp Auktionshaus known as specialist in Spitzweg

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf

Karlheinz Kaupp sits among the treasures and trappings of the auction trade. Photo courtesy Auktionshaus Kaupp.
Karlheinz Kaupp sits among the treasures and trappings of the auction trade. Photo courtesy Auktionshaus Kaupp.
German painter Carl Spitzweg (1808-1885), is beloved for his romantic and humorous scenes of everyday life. Works like The Poor Poet, where an impoverished author escapes his drab and leaky room by bundling up in bed with an umbrella, have delighted millions as reproductions on calendars and cards.

But to own a genuine Spitzweg, you may want to consult Kaupp Auctionshaus in Sulzburg, Baden Württemburg. Somehow, since they moved into their impressive historic residence in 2004, they have managed to have at least one Spitzweg painting in every auction. Their three-day November auctions featured no less than four Spitzweg paintings.

“We are known for our Spitzwegs,” said auction director Karlheinz Kaupp.

This time only one Spitzweg painting sold. The lesser-known work, a small oil on wood entitled Landscape with Little City depicting a distant French village dappled in light and shadow, brought 26,000 Euro.

Even after 15 years of running an auction house, Kaupp speaks with genuine enthusiasm over the art and antiques entrusted to his sale. It is clear as he talks about a painting, that his first love is art.

“We started out as art dealers in 1991,” said Kaupp. “A few years later the idea of an auction house developed.”

Even after renting a historic Ratssaal as a showroom and a warehouse in an industrial area, there was never enough room. Finally Kaupp Co-Director Melanie Edelbruch found the perfect building – a historic castle built in 1515 for Count Ernst von Baden. A 2.4 million Euro renovation and modernization made it an elegant backdrop for classic and contemporary art, antique furniture, glittering jewelry and other decorative antiques. The nearly 10-meter wide Festival Hall now serves as the perfect auction space, with modern lighting pairing perfectly with Renaissance furniture.

Since the move no Kaupp auction has been without its Spitzweg. And Edelbruch reports that their market for modern and contemporary art has continued to climb, even against drops in the market.

Kaupp Auktionshaus slates their next sale for May of 2010. For exact date and details on what surprises wait to be discovered, visit www.Kaupp.de

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Entry to Auktionshaus Kaupp in Sulzburg, Baden Württemburg. Photo courtesy Auktionshaus Kaupp.
Entry to Auktionshaus Kaupp in Sulzburg, Baden Württemburg. Photo courtesy Auktionshaus Kaupp.

This 1808 oil on canvas painting by Carl Spitzweg, 'Auf der Bastei,' shows the artist’s usual wit with the dutiful soldier yawning, and laundry flapping in the breeze. A recent offering by Kaupp Auktionshaus. Photo courtesy Auktionshaus Kaupp.
This 1808 oil on canvas painting by Carl Spitzweg, ‘Auf der Bastei,’ shows the artist’s usual wit with the dutiful soldier yawning, and laundry flapping in the breeze. A recent offering by Kaupp Auktionshaus. Photo courtesy Auktionshaus Kaupp.

Heidi LuxAn American freelance writer, Heidi Lux grew up near Rochester, N.Y., and is a graduate of that city’s Nazareth College. She presently lives in Saxony, Germany, where she works as an English language editor and private tutor. Her work has appeared in Transitions Abroad and German Life magazines, as well as Style Century Magazine.