Munich - The sum total of their ages is nearly 300 years: three ladies who ensured top prices at today’s Ketterer Kunst auction in Munich. While Heidi Klum has yet to pick her winner on television, “Mädchen mit blauem Schal” (“Girl with a Blue Scarf”)(pictured), painted by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff in 1909, has already topped the charts. The watercolour fetched € 360 000*, a world record for a work on paper by this artist. Incredible as it may seem: not all that long ago this outstanding work was left on the shelf at another auction in Germany.

The overall auction proceeds amounted to € 4 000 000*. That figure was realised with nearly 70 per cent of lots sold.

Feminine wiles coupled with subtle eroticism secured Amedeo Modigliani’s “Cariatide” [“Caryatid”] first place at the auction and continuing residence in Germany. A collector nearly quadrupled the estimate by paying € 425.000*.

Red hair and red lips not only top the bill on German television; they also come first in the international art scene. One art lover could not be restrained when Emil Nolde’s “Frauenkopf mit rotem Haar” [“Portrait of a Lady with Red Hair”] was called. He bid up the watercolour portrait to € 210 000*.

The Top 5 at the Modern Art Auction

€ 425 000*
No. 155: Amedeo Modigliani - Caryatid
Estimate: € 120 000-150 000
€ 360 000*
No. 140: Karl Schmidt-Rottluff - Girl with a Blue Scarf
Estimate: € 150 000-200 000
€ 210 000*
No. 183: Emil Nolde - Portrait of a Lady with Red Hair
Estimate: € 150 000-250 000
€ 205 000*
No. 143: Heinrich Campendonk - Self-Portrait (Rural Impression)
Estimate: € 100 000-150 000
€ 200 000*
No. 186: Emil Nolde - Sea (with the Evening Sky)
Estimate: € 150 000-200 000

Another Emil Nolde watercolour on offer was “Meer (mit Abendhimmel)” [“Sea (with Evening Sky”]. It left the auctioneer’s lectern to adorn a German collection for € 200 000*.

Heinrich Campendonk’s “Selbstbildnis (Ländliche Impression)” [“Self-Portrait (Rural Impression”] (lot 143; estimate € 100 000-150 000) was honoured by a collector from southern Europe for € 205 000*. As recently as late last year the vendor had acquired it from another auction for an incredible € 14 000.

Another work that journeyed south was Oskar Schlemmer’s “Zwei Köpfe, einander zugewandt” [“Two Heads, Facing”: lot no. 175]. A collector parted with € 120 000* for it. Only a few months ago, he could have bought it from a Berlin auction house for just € 42 000.

More than honourable mention to the following:

Lot no. Artist (medium) Title Estimate Sale price
201 M. C. Escher (colour woodcut) Metamorphosis II € 90 000 € 108 000*
123 W. Morgner (oil on canvas) Crucifixion € 60 000 € 94 000*
161 K. Schmidt-Rottluff (watercolour) Rocky Island (Capri) € 50 000 € 90 000*

Post-auction sales of objects unsold at the auction run through 4 August 2008. For auction result lists please call 00 49 (0)89-55244-444. More information at www.kettererkunst.com.

* Sale price equals
Hammer price + 18 per cent surcharge on hammer prices over € 200 000 and
Hammer price + 20 per cent surcharge on hammer prices below € 200 000

Posted: 06|11|08 at 7:00 am. Filed under: Press Release.