MUNICH.- With an overall result of € 2,4 million for the October auction, the auction season begins quite promising. “30% first time bidders in the auction of Post War/Contemporary Art alone confirm once more that the appeal of art is ever increasing“, said Robert Ketterer about the first part of the autumn auction season. The average increase of 61% per sold lot in the section of Modern Art confirms this trend as well.

The company owner continues: “Besides the quality offered, it is the fact that art is a crisis-proof form of investment that is particularly striking. Another proof thereof are seven results beyond the € 20.000 mark in both auctions of Art from 20th/21st Century of up to € 20.000.“ The 400th anniversary on 8 December is already promising excitement.

Modern Art
The beginning of the two-day auction marathon was in the section of Modern Art, with Gabriele Münter‘s harmonious flower still life “Dahlien“ (lot 354) as the auction’s top lot. Called up with € 32.000, a buyer from Switzerland awarded the lucent still life an overall price of €160.000 and beat bidders in the auction room as well as a large number of written bids and four competitors on the phones. Excellent increases were also realized by two other works by Gabriele Münter. While the tempera “Rote Dahlie, Rosen, Iris“ (lot 356) from 1958 climbed from € 14.000 to the result of € 22.000, the flower still life “Blumenstillleben“ (lot 355) from 1955 even achieved a respectable € 30.000, and thus a threefold of its € 9.600 starting price. Both works will remain in Southern Germany.

A series of nine works by Eduard Bargheer also made for quite some excitement, for they were all sold for prices beyond their estimate, some even with remarkable increases.

Side lines of the German Avant-garde
This section is led by Otto Schön‘s oil painting “Sich ankleidendes Mädchen“ (lot 71), which realized more than a threefold of its starting price of € 4.000, climbing to € 13.750. It went to a Southern German private collector who stood his grounds against competitors from Germany and Greece.

Second and third places went to Fritz Schwarz-Waldegg‘s oil painting “Stadt in der Provence“ (lot 72) and to “Fuchs“ by an unknown artist (lot 87). Starting at € 1.500 and € 1.000 respectively, both made for a result of € 12.500. That is an excellent increase in both cases, the first went to an Austrian collector who relegated half a dozen bidders to place second and beyond and the latter to a German collector standing his grounds in a likewise tough bidding skirmish.

Post War/Contemporary Art
First place in terms of overall result in this section went to Otto Piene‘s acrylic/soot work “Weithin sichtbar“ (lot 824), additionally, it made second place for increases in this section. Made in 1967, the work attracted 22 phone bidders from all over Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Luxembourg as well as a great deal of written bids. Eventually, a Belgium bidder made sure that the top lot became his for € 61.000.

In general, ZERO art was much sought-after: A series of 14 works by Heinz Mack, all sold at excellent prices, peaked in his 1971 multiple “Rotor“ (lot 780). For € 15.625 it went to a bidder from Germany who relegated fellow countrymen as well as buyers from Italy and Liechtenstein to places second and beyond.

Another furor was caused by half a dozen works by Günther Uecker. His embossing print “Spirale“ (lot 892) had attracted more than a dozen bidders even before the auction, eventually a result of € 3250, offered by a collector from London, was achieved. Uecker‘s series was led by a 1,78 meter long “Nagel“ (lots 888) from 1989, which remains in Bavaria for € 9.250. Art lovers from Hesse, the Rhineland and from Monaco came in places second and beyond.

Works by Rainer Fetting were also popular with the audience. While his oil painting “Young Self-portrait with cabbage“ (lot 704) remains in Germany for € 18.125, his “Melancholic NY Cop Brian“ (lots 703), will, all in line with its name, cross the ocean and go to New York for € 20.625.

Just a little below this mark is Gerhard Richter‘s „Kerze“ (lot 843) with € 20.000, which a collector from Southern Germany paid after beating the tough competition from Germany and England, allowing more than three times its starting price of € 5.800. Another eight works by the artist were also sold for excellent prices.

Unsold objects can be purchased in the post auction sale until late November. The auction's list of result is available by phone at 0049-(0)-89-55244-0.