Auctions of modern and contemporary art in Cologne
ONEAn untitled work by Sigmar Polke from 1999 climbed to the top of Van Ham’s December auctions of modern and contemporary art in Cologne: The 117 by 138 centimeter synthetic resin work thanks to its iconic grid pattern and market freshness – and rose to 340,000 euros (estimate 200,000 to 300,000 Euro). Cindy Sherman’s 2004 photograph from her “Clown” series, brought in by the art collector Thomas Olbricht, was rewarded with 195,000 euros and is going to Israel (copy of 6; 160,000 / 200,000). The colored, 130 centimeter high steel sculpture “Fourdoorcoupe” by John Chamberlain was left where it was (300,000 / 500,000), as was Robert Bechtle’s photo-realistic work “Sunset Strollers” (200,000 / 300,000). In contrast, Leiko Ikemura’s landscape triptych “Kaiserstuhl” from 2013 achieved an international auction record for the Japanese artist (60,000 / 90,000) with a hammer price of 85,000 euros. A bidder from the United States was able to secure the kinetic work “Continuel Lumière Cylindre” by Julio Le Parc for 95,000 euros under tax (100,000 / 150,000).
For Lempertz’s contemporaries, Gotthard Graubner’s rust-brown color space body “Rufus” from 1992/95 was the highest endowed lot with a hammer price of 260,000 euros and went to a German private collection (250,000 / 300,000). Andy Warhol’s acrylic painting “Ms. B ”, the top lot in the offer, remained unsold (300,000 / 400,000); his one-off screen print by Grace Kelly, created three years later, achieved well above taxes at 220,000 euros and a private collection comes to Monaco (140,000 / 180,000). The acrylic work “Give and Take” by AR Penck from 2005 was worth 220,000 euros to a German collector (100,000 / 150,000). Gerhard Richter’s small oil work “3 March 1989” had a sub-tax of 130,000 euros (up to 150,000), while his “Blech” canvas, created in 1988, was raised to 110,000 euros (60,000 / 80,000).
Among the modern offers at Van Ham, the sibling portrait that Paula Modersohn-Becker painted in 1903 was convincing. For 180,000 euros it comes under estimate in a north German private collection (200,000 / 300,000). Kurt Schwitters’ collage “Mz 246, red and striped” from 1921 was 95,000 euros (90,000 / 120,000) for an online bidder when it made its market debut. One of six works by Karl Hofer on offer, the “Lute Player” from 1935, made it to 78,000 euros (60,000 / 80,000). Despite the excellent provenance of Solomon R. Guggenheim, Rudolf Bauer’s tense canvas work “Contrast” from 1924 stuck (100,000 / 150,000). In addition, the NFT auction, with which Van Ham entered the non-fungible token business, met with a positive response: All five hybrid “Godpixels” manufactured by Gavin Evans – the dynamic digital version in which the image is morphed from one Version WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO ANOTHER – WERE SOLD; The portrait of Ai Weiwei was particularly popular and reached 13,000 euros (estimate 10,000 to 15,000 euros each).
With a result of 340,000 euros, August Macke’s early work “Sunny Garden” from 1908 advanced to the top lot in Lempertz’s Modern Art within its expected margin. The 1954 painting “Flaneurs” by Max Ernst, which belonged to the Parisian gallery owner René Rasmussen, had its lower estimate at 250,000 euros, while Franz Radziwill’s landscape “The Colorful Fields” from 1957 exceeded its estimate at 130,000 euros. Camille Pissarro’s small oil painting “Verger à Varengeville avec vache” from 1899 did not find a buyer – the highlight of Lempertz’s “Evening Sale” at an estimate of 500,000 to 700,000 euros. Max Pechstein’s 1920 depiction of the shifting dune in Nidden (200,000 / 250,000) and the first street landscape by Max Beckmann (200,000 / 300,000) from 1911 also remained. A German bidder paid 270,000 euros (200,000 / 250,000) for the lifetime casting of Ernst Barlach’s 49 centimeter high “Singing Man”. The 102 centimeter tall bronze foal by Renée Sintenis from 1932 was below its estimate (150,000 / 200,000) at 125,000 euros.
In total, Lempertz achieved a turnover of 9.2 million euros with its auctions; were expected 8.7 million. The company’s total turnover in 2021 will be 51 million euros. Van Ham achieved more than nine million euros with its auctions on modernism; the estimates were 6.5 million. In addition, the total annual turnover amounts to more than 40.1 million euros. This is a new record result for the Cologne auction house.