MUNICH.- Ketterer Kunst's steady focus on quality over quantity has proven its worth in these challenging times. A total of 240 lots raised €26 million on June 6 and 7, securing the auction house's position as Germany's leading auction house once again. Fierce bidding contests in both the Evening Sale and the Day Sale led to a number of spectacular price hikes.


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Five lots in the Evening Sale broke the million-euro mark. Leading the way was Edvard Munch's “Das rote Haus” (The Red House), the Norwegian artist's first painting to be auctioned in Germany, fetching €2.04 million – the German auction season's top result. Following a heated bidding battle, it was eventually acquired by a New York collector. Selling for €1.68 million, a Pablo Picasso gouache with a grandiose variation on the artist and model motif also went to a New York bidder, while another American collector secured a colorful large-format work by Morris Louis for €1.14 million. Fetching €1.26 million, a bridge motif from Lyonel Feininger's arguably most significant creative period also found a new home in a US private collection. Immediately after the auction, a German collector opted to purchase a Gerhard Richter painting for €1.8 million.

These results not only prove that quality and market freshness are always in demand, they are also a clear indication that our company's range of offerings is closely monitored around the world, especially in the USA.

On both auction days, 46 artworks alone were sold in mainly high six-figure realms. These includ Jean Dubuffet‘s “Lampe et Balance” from 1964, which went to Paris for just under €700,000. Sam Francis’ abstract dripping composition found a new home in Switzerland for €356,000, exceeding its estimate by more than a threefold thanks to the active participation of several international telephone and online bidders, while Henri Laurens’ “Petite cariatide,” a bronze that was cast in only six copies, more than doubled its estimate at €254,000 and now adds to a German collection. Selling for €216,000, Franz West’s bright red giant seating sculpture from an exclusive corporate collection will add splendor to a distinguished garden setting. In our small but superbly curated selection of 19th-century works, a bid from Cyprus over €304,000 (including buyer's premium, estimate price: €120,000) for Franz von Stuck's “Judgment of Paris” defeated various international bidders. In the Evening Sale, a number of highly competitive six-figure bids were also submitted for works by, among others, Gotthard Graubner, William N. Copley, Günther Förg, Imi Knoebel, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and Sigmar Polke. This resulted in an estimate-based sell-through rate of 85 percent.

With an outstanding sell-through rate of 99 percent, the Day Sale had a number of surprises in store: a bronze by Alexander Archipenko, for example, shot up from €63,000 to €152,000, while Antony Gormley's small iron sculpture landed at €127,000, up from €70,000. An extensive selection of etched and lithographed self portraits by Max Beckmann from the Karin & Rüdiger Volhard Collection, offered in part in our auction, was met with great acclaim, one of the drypoint etchings fetched as much as €44,500 (estimate price: €6,000).

Thanks to a dedicated team and a clear focus on international art, our company keeps its spot as German market leader. The success of this auction with only 240 lots—the smallest offering in Germany—is a clear sign of our commitment to quality. -- Robert Ketterer



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