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Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Sotheby’s Amsterdam to Auction Works by Cornelis Springer and Georg Baselitz

On Monday 14 June 2010 Sotheby’s Amsterdam will offer both 19th Century European Paintings and Modern & Contemporary Art. Sotheby’s has combined these two collecting fields into one sale since there is a demonstrable overlap in interest in Hague School and early 20th century art. From 11 till 13 June, more than 150 works will be on display during the viewing days at Sotheby’s Amsterdam. The works to be offered are estimated to realize in excess of €2 – 3 million.


Cornelis Springer, The fishmarket and bridge in Oudewater. Estimate: €150.000 – 180.000. Photo: Sotheby’s

One of the highlights in the 19th century paintings section is an important townscape of Oudewater by Cornelis Springer (1817-1891) in his best period, dated 1859, with an estimated prize of €150,000 – 180,000. Springer was as famous in this period that he needed to draw up a waiting list for his buyers. Sotheby’s Amsterdam achieved a record prize of € 1.1 million for this artist in 2006, the highest result for a painting by Springer. Other highlights in this section are works by Hermanus Koekkoek, Andreas Schelfhout, Barend Cornelis Koekkoek and Hendrik Willem Mesdag.

The Modern & Contemporary Art section includes works by CoBrA artists like, Karel Appel and Corneille as well as ZERO artists like, Jan Schoonhoven and François Morellet. Sotheby’s holds the world record for both ZERO artists: in February 2010 a Schoonhoven was sold in London for over €887,000 and in March 2010 a world record of €432,000 is established for a work by Morellet during the spectacular sale of the BAT Collection formerly known as the Peter Stuyvesant Collection in Amsterdam. One of the highlights in the modern section is a painting by Georg Baselitz (1938), Der Lasterbaum from 1986. For the first time a painting by this artist will be offered in the Netherlands. Der Lasterbaum is reduced from a medieval religious manuscript in which women are encouraged to enjoy the virtues instead of the vices of live. By rotating the work, for which Baselitz is known, the painting has an inverted meaning. Der Lasterbaum has an estimated prize of €180,000 – 240,000.