MUNICH.- He is regarded a warrantor of true connoisseurship of art from the early 20th century. Gustav Schiefler did not only compile his collection with a keen mind, but also with heart and the right gut instinct. After an extremely successful first part in 2011, a second part will be auctioned at
Ketterer Kunst in Munich on 19 April.
For a collector as passionate as Gustav Schiefler, there was no sacrifice too high to acquire an important work of art: “I set up an ‘etchings bank’ into which I put my savings (…). When I went on walks I abstained from refreshments, I avoided using trains ...“*, said Schiefler. To the art lover, however, it was not only about buying the works, moreover, he was in close contact with the artists and gradually became an expert of the oeuvres of, among others Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and Erich Heckel. The close connection to the artists even took him a step further, in the end he compiled the relevant catalog raisonns of Max Liebermann‘s, Edvard Munch‘s, Emil Nolde‘s and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner‘s graphic works.
Indisputably, the woodcut “Kleines Variete mit Sngerin“ by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner counts among the special auction’s highlights. The sheet from 1912 is one of the few colored copies and is offered on the international auction market for the first time. The artist had captured the woodcut motif earlier on a postcard to Gustav Schiefler from 25 November, 1911. The estimate is at € 40.000-60.000.
Next to the chalk drawing “Skizze Redslob“ and the woodcut “Die Entscheidung“ (estimates at € 8.000-10.000 each) the auction comprises ten further captivating works by Kirchner, first and foremost, however, the 1912 woodcut “Elisabeth-Ufer (Berlin)“, which will enter the race with an estimate of € 20.000-30.000. The painting “Rotes Elisabeth Ufer“ with the same motif from 1912/13 (Gordon 275) is in possession of the collection Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany.
Another particularly enchanting work is Hermann Max Pechstein’s exotic and very rare lithograph “Mann und Weib“ from 1909, which is partly hand-colored. The sheet in a size of 51,3 x 42 cm (23.4 x 17.4 in) will contribute to the range of offerings with an estimate of € 30.000-40.000.
A dozen works by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff are guaranteed to make for a thrilling atmosphere in the auction room, selection led by the charming lithograph “Weies Mdchen“ and the woodcut “Stralsunder Trme“ (estimated at € 15.000-20.000 each) as well as by a “Szene“ from 1910. The sheet with dimensions of 29,4 x 38,4 cm (11.5 x 15.1 in), presumably one of a maximum of 10 copies of the appealing woodcut, will enter the race with an estimate of € 25.000-35.000.
Other top lots are the works by Rolf Nesch, which clearly reflect the influence of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Nesch‘s color metal print “Hafenbrcke“ is part of an edition of just 8 copies that were made in 1932 and which will now be called up at € 20.000-30.000. The sheet “Frau auf der Brcke“ was made the same year and in the same low print run. This metal print may be available for perhaps as little as € 15.000-20.000.
Further works worthwhile mentioning come from Emil Nolde, who was a close friend of Gustav Schiefler. The Northern German artist is represented with 15 works, the selection is led by the watercolor “Apostelkopf“ from 1910, which will enter the race with an estimate of € 10.000-15.000.
The unique collection also comprises other big names such as Ernst Eitner, Paul Gangolf, Werner Gothein, Erich Heckel, Arthur Illies, Leopold von Kalckreuth, Wilhelm Laage, Max Liebermann, Edvard Munch, Heinrich Stegemann and Albert Welti.
