MUNICH.- The run on art could have hardly been bigger. The enormous demand made for the excellent result of € 19,4 million** for the spring auctions at Ketterer Kunst. “Accordingly, last year’s result for the same period was topped by an impressive € 6 million*. At the same time, this was the best first term result ever“, said company owner Robert Ketterer.

He continues: ”26 results above the € 100.000 mark - and that at sharp increases - make for an overall very respectable achievement. Once more, a large number of new clients made their contribution. The section of contemporary art alone saw 30 percent first time buyers.”

The focus of the auction on 8 June was on: Modern Art and Post War/Contemporary Art

Modern Art
As expected, the auction was led by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner‘s work with oil painting on both sides (lot 30). A Southern German collector honored the unique piece of art with a result of € 1.740.000* and relegated competitors – most of which came from the German language region – to places second and beyond.

More than a five-fold of its starting price of € 120.000 made for a result of above € 648 000* for Karl Schmidt-Rottluff‘s oil painting “Anlegeplatz am Fluss (Maasholm an der Schlei)“ (lot 55), which placed the work second in the auction. A private collector from Southern Germany who called in stood his grounds against half a dozen competitors on the phones, the full auction room, as well as numerous written bids.

Three paintings by Gabriele Münter also reached realms beyond the € 100.000 mark, all of them will remain in Germany. Next to the “Bergwiese“ (lot 40), which, at a result of € 323.000* found a new home for more than twice its starting price and the “Birkenallee“ (lot 51), sold for € 268.000*, the work “Kirche im Dorf“ (lot 64) also provided an excellent result of € 220.000*. Three other works by the artist were also successfully sold at prices far beyond their estimates.

Russian artists were also quite in demand. Both Wassily Kandinsky‘s work “Quadrat im Nebel“ (lot 77) as well as Alexej von Jawlensky‘s “Variation: Jubilance (Seelenwandern)“ (lot 41) went to collections in Southern Germany. The first for € 220.000*, the latter for € 207.000*.

Post War/Contemporary Art
With a result of € 439.000*, Zao Wou-Ki’s “Composition” (lot 235) occupies first rank in this section. A written bid that had not been fully made use of made sure that the Swiss collector relegated competitors from France and the British Virgin Islands to places second and beyond.

Alexander Calder’s untitled standing mobile (lot 208), will remain in Germany, to be more precise, in the hands of a private collector from Hesse who made the work sure for himself for a result of € 329.000* after it had been called up at € 140.000. This way he won against half a dozen phone bidders from Germany, France, Switzerland and the U.S.A., as well as a full order book.

Bidders from France, Florida and Germany fought hard for the untitled India ink drawing by Georg Baselitz (lot 259). In the end, a collector from Southern Germany made the race by offering € 183.000* - more than twice the starting price of € 80.000.

Three works by Gerhard Richter also made for fine results, led by the painting on the catalog’s cover (lot 257). The lacquer paint work over color offset was quite in demand among German bidders. Eventually, a private collector from Bavaria stood his grounds against tough competitors and honored the work with a price of € 159.000*.

Works by ZERO artists were also quite sought-after. Accordingly, five works by Otto Piene and three by Heinz Mack were not only sold, additionally, they realized excellent increases. Especially Piene’s “Die Geburt des Regenbogens”, which a Southern German collector let soar from € 35.000 to € 107.000*, is worthwhile mentioning.



* The result is the hammer price + 25 percent buyer's premium for objects up to € 25 000

The result is the hammer price + 22 percent buyer’s premium for objects above € 25 001

The result is the hammer price + 20 percent buyer's premium for objects above € 500 001

** Unlike other German auction houses, Ketterer Kunst holds its seasoal auctions on several days, which is reflected
by the overall proceeds of € 20 million* for spring 2013.