To coincide with the auction house’s 25-year anniversary, Villa Grisebach was entrusted with the largest number of works of art to date. 1,463 paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints, and photographs will be auctioned in Berlin in six sales during four days for the first time (from November 23 to 26). Major works by the most important German Expressionists adorn the broad offerings: Emil Nolde’s “Sonnenblumen im Abendlicht” (estimate EUR 1,2-1,5 million), August Macke’s paradise version of “Landschaft mit Bauer, Junge und Ziege” (EUR 700,000-1,000,000), created in 1914 only a few weeks before the artist’s death, Max Beckmann’s “Elefant und Clown im Stall” (EUR 700,000-900,000), Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s “Die Violinistin” (EUR 500,000-700,000), and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff’s “Stilleben mit Aepfeln und Flasche” (EUR 400,000-600,000). The medium pre-sale estimate of all works amounts to EUR 22,6 million – the highest since Villa Grisebach’s founding in 1986.
Important works by Gerhard Richter (“Abstraktes Bild,” 1992, EUR 180,000-240,000) and Sigmar
Polke (Untitled, 1999, EUR 180,000-240,000) were secured for the contemporary art offerings. The
squad of young German painters, including Eberhard Havekost, Tim Eitel and Norbert Bisky, is
represented in numerous works. In the suite of anniversary auctions post-war art is published in a
separate catalog. Highlights are three important works, all created in 1962, by ZERO artists Otto
Piene (Untitled (Rauchbild), EUR 40,000-60,000) , Heinz Mack (“Homage à Steinway & Sons,” EUR
100,000-150,000), and Guenther Uecker (“Greenbox III,” EUR 90,000-120,000).
For the first time Villa Grisebach will be holding an auction of art of the 19th century. A painting by
Adolph Menzel, “Zwei friderizianische Offiziere im Gespraech” (EUR 140,000-160,000) stands out with
the highest estimate. Further offerings include works in oil by John Constable (EUR 40,000-60,000),
Carl Blechen (EUR 20,000-25,000), Johann Georg Dillis (EUR 9,000-12,000), and Friedrich Nerly (EUR
50,000-70,000).
The photography sale features as highlights a rare print from the “Bus Riders” series by Cindy
Sherman (EUR 9,000-12,000) and two large works from Hiroshi Sugimoto’s theatre series (EUR
16,000-20,000). The top lot in modern photographs is Ansel Adams’s “Storm over the Great Plains”
of 1960 (EUR 10,000-15,000).
The preview tour of selected works from the anniversary auctions, once again, leads from Munich to
Hamburg, Dortmund, Zurich to Duesseldorf, before all works to be sold in the auctions will be
displayed in Berlin, from November 18 to 22. For the six auction catalogs and all further information
please go to w w w.villa-grisebach.com.
