Modern | Post War | Contemporary

Modern

Der singende Mann (The Singing Man) by Ernst Barlach – considered one of the most eminent and popular sculptures of German Expressionism – comes from a first-rate private collection in Germany. The dark-brown patinated bronze will be called up at the evening sale (estimate: €200,000–300,000). What makes this special: it is a confirmed, rare lifetime cast by Hans Barlach, the artist’s grandson. Further superb highlights from this Classical Modernity collection are the painting Clairière (Clearing) by Max Ernst from 1958 and the colourful Blumenstillleben mit zwei Vasen (Still Life with Flowers and Two Vases) which Alexej von Jawlensky created in 1936.

Post War

The work Monturi, Diskus (mit Segmenten) (Monturi, Discus (with Segments)) from the estate of Willi Baumeister became part of a German corporate collection via Galerie Michael Hertz. In the late 1970s it was exhibited internationally, including in New York, Basel and Stuttgart, among other places. The eminent painting now being offered is from 1954 and market-fresh (estimate: €350,000–500,000). 

When it comes to Günther Uecker, it has got to be nails. Thanks to their expressiveness and appeal, the spirals by the ZERO artist are especially popular among collectors. Consequently, Spirale from 2017 is one of the highlights of the Spring sale (estimate: €300,000–400,000).

It is the arguably most significant work by Dora Maurer at an international auction yet: the diptych Quasi Picture mirroring from 1983/1993. The work from the pioneering work series of quasi-pictures is composed of four parts. It is striking for its pictorial language and composition that are typical of the Hungarian artist (estimate: €250,000–350,000). Everything is simply perfect here: from the museum-like quality, to the monumental size and through to the wonderfully strong colours. 

Karin Kneffel is known for her hyper realistic paintings in which she usually picks up everyday motifs to enrich them with surreal and enigmatic elements. Her works are marked by perfect technique, impressive plays of light, and a sophisticated surface aesthetic. In Kirschen VII (Cherries VII) from 1995 she put a pair of perfect cherries on the canvas and defamiliarized them by making them oversize (estimate: €60,000–80,000). The result is a play of illusion and confusion which Kneffel masters absolutely.

Contemporary

Three remarkable works by Scottish artist Peter Doig from the 1990s are also from the corporate collection of Bremer Landesbank. Especially Study For Camp Forestia II (estimate: €400,000–600,000) combines the elements that are characteristic of Doig’s work. With the house that is reflected in the water, he uses recurring symbols, creating a mysterious atmosphere that is typical of his work by making everything blurry and applying scratched paint.

Colour is the main protagonist in Katharina Grosse’s oeuvre. She is known for her colourful works that eclipse the boundaries of traditional painting. In the painting on offer at the upcoming sale, Grosse has superimposed transparent, luminous colour areas on each other, thus creating complex and alluring depth (estimate: €50,000–70,000). The painting was acquired in 2008 by a private collection from Galerie Conrads and will now be called up as a market-fresh work.