March 3/4, 2023
Collection of modern art of a Darmstadt architect, dissolution of a Mannheim gallery, part II & various estates from the region
At the 1st sale of the year at K&K Auctions in Heidelberg on 3/4 March 2023, modern art will once again play a major role, as well as exceptional Asian and African collections.
In the Modern Art section, two pastels by Max Ackermann from 1958/1961 (estimate: € 2000-2500 / reserve price: € 390), the large “La Divina” in bronze by Bruno Bruni (estimate: € 2800-3000 / reserve price: € 900), Albert Ebert’s Small Travelling Circus in oil from 1948 (estimate: € 3500-4000 / reserve price: € 750), several works by Raimer Jochims, among others. the acrylic “Salem” 1984/88 (estimate: € 4500-5500 / reserve price: € 1900), a bronze by Joachim Karsch (estimate: € 2000-2500 / reserve price: € 750), the acrylic “Sanyo” by Fritz Köthe 1995 (estimate: € 6500-7000 / reserve price: € 3800), the oil painting “Twin” 1976/77 by Verena Loewensberg (estimate: € 5000-7000 / reserve price: € 1500), two mirror objects by Adolf Luther from 1968 (estimates: € 2000-2500 / reserve price: € 390), an acrylic and a watercolour by A. R. Penck from 1994 (estimate: € 6500-7500 / reserve price: € 1800) and 1966 (estimate: € 3000-3500 / reserve price: € 900), several works by Hans Purrmann, including a watercolour of Porto d’Ischia and two nudes in charcoal, (estimates: € 2000-4000 and € 1200-1400 / reserve prices: € 390 and € 280), bronzes by Erwin A. Schinzel, the oil painting “Paris-Bar Berlin” by Reinhard Stangl from 2001 (estimate: € 3000-4000 / reserve price: € 900) and many others.
Particularly noteworthy are the “Lange Thinking Figure” by Wilhelm Lehmbruck, a posthumous recast of the original design of 1913/14 in bronze (estimate: € 30000-35000 / reserve price: € 9500) and “The Prayer” in bronze by Constantin Brancusi, also a posthumous recast of the design of 1907 (estimate: € 8000-9000 / reserve price: € 2800). Both stood in the garden of a villa in Portugal and are beautifully patinated.
Modern graphic art is represented by, among others by Hans Peter Adamski, Elvira Bach, Salvador Dali, Jiri Georg Dokoupil, Kaethe Kollwitz, Jean Leppien, Jonathan Meese, Joan Miro (“Hommage à Picasso” colour aquatint from 1972, estimate: € 2200-2600 / reserve price: € 20), Henry Moore, Johann Georg Müller, Otto Pankok, Sigmar Polke (“Dur”, color serigraph from 2000, estimate: € 1600-2000 / reserve price: € 20), Daniel Richter, Stefan Szczesny, Victor Vasarely, Paul Wunderlich, to list just a few…
For photography lovers, lots by Ellen Auerbach, Imogen Cunningham, F.C. Gundlach, Barbara Probst, Regina Relang should be mentioned, including 2 x by Robert Haeusser (estimates: € 500-1000 /reserve prices: € 20).
The Older Art section also features several highlights, including a pair of idyllic landscapes, in oil by Friedrich Wilhelm Hirt from 1759 (estimate: € 5000-6000 / reserve price: € 1800), the mystical Marriage of St. Catherine, an oil painting attributed to Innocenzo Francucci / da Imola around 1520 (estimate: € 14000-16000 / reserve price: € 5900) and the estate of the Munich genre and landscape painter Heinrich Stelzner (1833-1910) with over 300 works, including 12 oil paintings (estimate: € 25000-30000 / reserve price: € 20). Also interesting is the large collection of 18th-19th century wooden figures of saints.
In addition to arts, porcelains, including several services by Meissen, Royal Copenhagen and others, a collection with artists’ ceramics (including Lotte Reimers, Mary White, Reinhard Adler), silver, including the 100-piece cutlery set M 350 by Richard Riemerschmid (estimate: € 5000-8000 / reserve price: € 1800), musical instruments, including an Ibanez GB200 guitar, a Fender Telecaster NOS (estimate: € 1500-2000 / reserve price: € 500) and a master violin by Adolf Romer from 1897.
In the section of Asian art, numerous objects from South and East Asia from the collection of a German Indologist will be offered, among them a pair of celadon floor vases, Canton export porcelain of the Qing period (estimate: € 2500-3500 / reserve price: € 800), a blue and white vase with the “three riches” of the Qing period (estimate: € 1000-1200 / reserve price: € 300) and a bronze sculpture of the Guanyin of the Qing period, 18th century (estimate: € 900-1200 / reserve price: € 300). For collectors, a look at the Japanese swords of the Edo/ Meiji period (estimates: € 1200-2000 / reserve prices: € 400-500) might be worthwhile!
The 2nd part of a South German Africana collection is distinguished by some spectacular wooden sculptures and figures. Particularly noteworthy are the Fang-Benga reliquary guard (estimate: € 3000-4000), the Yombe power figure (estimate: € 2500-3000), all with a reserve price of € 20.
In the antiquarian section, maps and veduta of Turkey and the Middle East from the collection of a Heidelberg archaeologist, including the general view of Constantinople by Matthäus Seutter, Augsburg, circa 1730 (estimate: € 800-1200 / reserve price: € 20) and 6 sheets from the series of copper engravings “Turkish palace guard” circa 1700 by Josef Friedrich Leopold (estimate; € 600-900 / reserve price: € 20). Flower lovers should be delighted by the daffodils and pseudo-daffodils from “Hortus Eystettensis”, 2 coloured copper engravings around 1613 (estimate: € 700-1000 / reserve price: € 20)!
Jewellery and watches are not to be missed: the so-called Giardinetto ring of the 18th century (estimate: € 800-1000 / reserve price: € 280) and the plique-à-jour ring with diamonds from the Art Nouveau period (estimate: € 500-800 / reserve price: € 150) can be described as a collector’s items… the designs of the Maria Seuren’s jewellery studio in Karlsruhe from the 1970s, such as the necklace with emerald, diamond and pearl (estimate: € 800-1200 / reserve price: € 500), are also exceptional. Among the watches, the ladies’ Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust in gold from the 1970s (estimate: € 4000-8000 / reserve price: € 1500) and the Breitling Chronomat gold (estimate: € 4000-5000 / reserve price: € 1800) should be mentioned.