One needs a crystal ball to predict how the world economic crisis will affect the German-language art and antique markets. Spring has been a flurry of activity for the auction houses. The glossy, color catalogs are just as thick. A full program of summer antique shows and trodel markets is planned. The museums are not deaccessioning, but selectively buying and restoring to improve their collections.
It’s not that the bad news hasn’t reached us yet. The German economy is reported to be in the worst condition it has been in for 60 years. Export levels are down. The country is facing a growing average unemployment rate of 8.6 percent. And yet …
Ketterer Kunst GmbH & Co, KG, Munich, reports that the position of the art market in Germany is stable. According to spokesperson Michaela Derra, contrary to the price beating some international auction houses are taking, the German auction houses have not experienced this. She credits this to selling to an exclusive, established and growing market of art lovers, not investors.
Ketterer Kunst saw a slight increase in sales from early winter, 2008 to autumn, 2008, with a year-end sales figure of more than 21 million Euro. 17 million Euro of this was Modern Art and art after 1945.
In autumn of 2008 Ketterer Kunst sold Emil Nolde’s Landscape, for 900,000 Euro, 100,000 Euro over its estimated price. The Old Master works have stood solid like “rocks in the surf” for the auction house.
“I have already gone through turbulent economic times at the beginning of the 1990s and 2000,” said Robert Ketterer, auctioneer and owner of Ketterer Kunst. “Then it is important to have high quality works in the selection. Quality will prevail.” He has nothing but optimism for Ketterer’s upcoming Welcome Auctions on June 19 and 20 in their new House for Art in Munich. www.kettererkunst.de
Galerie Bassenge, Berlin-Grunewald, just completed their extensive spring auction of rare books, graphic art and autograph letters.
“We were a little uncertain and thought that the economy might affect the sale,” said Dr. Markus Brandis, director of the Bassenge Book Department. “But in the end we were very satisfied with the outcome.”
He went on to say that the featured works of the German publisher Malik brought more than 120 percent of their estimated price. Wieland Herzfelde’s bright blue book Sulamith, with silver cover illustrations by George Grosz, rose from an 1,800 Euro estimate to a 7,000 Euro sale.
Other departments also did well. The Caert-Thresoor, an engraved atlas published in 1598 by Barent Langenes, finally saw the hammer fall at 32,000 Euro. This far exceeded its 5,000 Euro estimate. The only slight weakness was noticed in the category of autograph letters.
“In spite of the economic trends, what I observe is: If you offer precious, valuable items of quality people will come from all over to buy. And they did. We even had dealers here from America,” said Brandis.
Hampel Kunstauktionen, Munich, reported a healthy outcome, especially for furniture. Exceeding their estimates were an 18th century Baroque library armoire at 12,000 Euro (estimate 8,000-10,000) and seven Biedermeier chairs, cairca 1810, at 9,400 (estimate 2,800-3,000).
Also Lempertz auction house, Cologne, reports business as usual. Henrick Hanstein, director, said the economic crisis has had relatively little impact on 2008 and the first part of 2009. “The customers are a little more cautious, but still dedicated,” said Hanstein. “One hears about value more often.”
Lempertz has seen an increasing demand for Old Masters and Modern Art. In antiques, Hanstein related that customers are looking for more old and valuable objects, not just period pieces. Asked to see into his economic crystal ball, Hanstein’s answer was the same as those given by the other auction houses: “We’ll know more after the spring sales.”
Found Red Mauritus to be Auctioned in Essen
It’s only a small red and white postage stamp, but one of the rarities of international stamp collecting. A Red Mauritus, one of only 15 known to exist, will be auctioned May 8 in the Essen Schloss Hotel Hugenport. Opening bid is 200,000 Euro. According to the catalog description of Dr. Wilhelm Derich’s Cologne auction house, “Who ever becomes the new owner of this stamp will have his name written in the philatelic history books.”
The new owner will be in good company. Queen Elizabeth II has both a Red and a Blue Mauritus (one of 12 in existence) in her collection.
Current owner Ullrich Schulze, who inherited the Red Mauritus from his father, had been unable to find the stamp for 20 years. In searching through his collection for some other items he was surprised to find the Red Mauritus – right where he had hidden it 20 years earlier – on a card surrounded by valueless old German stamps.
Highlights of Spring
Ladenburg Automobilia Auktion is May 8 and 9. This is a chance to bid on a piece of history from the pioneer time of automobile racing. Porsche and Mercedes fans will not want to miss the rare sales catalogs, countless photos and albums, signs, racing trophies and personal driver memorabilia dating back to the early 1900s. www.autotechnikauction.de
Auktionshaus Dr. Fisher, Heilbronn, presents two auctions in their Trappenseeschlösschen on May 9. “South German Private Collection” features unusual bronze and ivory figures such as the gold-clad bronze sculpture Russian Dancer by Paul Philippe (estimate 2,500). The second sale is the regular Art, Antiquities and Design. www.auctions-fischer.de
Dobiaschofsky Auktionen AG, Bern, Switzerland, presents their spring auction May 13-16. Included among the artwork and fine jewelry is a Louis XV commode estimated at 35,000 CHF. www.dobiaschofsky.com
Westlicht in Vienna, Austria, has something for every shutterbug in their May20-23 Photographica Auction: around 900 treasures from makers such as Leica, Zeiss, Nikon and Hasselblad, along with spy cameras, stereo cameras, box cameras and optical toys such as magic lanterns. Pictured here is a George Carette Magic Lantern in an unusual factory design with original brass lens, circa 1895. Starting price: 1,500 Euro. (3,000-4,000 estimate.) www.westlicht.com
Sisi Museum Adds 240 Pieces to Collection
The Sisi Museum in the Vienna Hofburg has spent 840,000 Euro to acquire 240 personal objects belonging to the legendary Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Purchased from a collector’s widow and supported through a special fund for museum purchases, the items will be displayed in a cleaned and restored space to be completed in mid-June.
Included is a set of onyx and jet mourning jewelry worn after the tragic death of the Empress’s son, Crown Prince Rudolph. Of special importance is the long black coat she may have been wearing and later covered her son with after he was stabbed to death by an anarchist.
But is it Art?
Hitler as artist? Apparently there was a time in Adolf Hitler’s life when his ambition was to be a painter. Two of his 1914 landscape watercolors, stiff and very academic in nature, were auctioned by Katherine Weidler Auktionhauses, Nürnberg. They were estimated to sell for 18,000 and 14,000 Euro, respectively. An anonymous telephone bidder paid 3,500 for both, which speaks only to the monetary value of infamy.
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Business Note:
Countess Sophia von Preysing joins Hampel Kunst Auktionen, Munich, as an auctioneer. She presided over her first auction at Hampel on March 28. At age 27 she is one of the youngest art auctioneers in Germany. www.hampel-auctions.com
To search LiveAuctioneers’ free archival database of German auction houses click here.
An 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.
