66th Art Auction on 21 & 22 November 2007

The 66th art auction at im Kinsky offers 658 art works from classical modernism, contemporary art and Jugendstil that represent a total estimated price of between € 6.5 and € 11 million.

Classical modernism

Pierre-Auguste Renoir's relationship with his later home in Cagnes was a love story, Jean Renoir once told of his father. One of the highlights of the auction, "Paysage d´automne avec une mare", which is offered at an estimated price of between € 200,000 and € 400,000, documents Renoir's love for the place in which he lived. The painting comes alive with late summer atmosphere in warm orange, yellow and red tones and his soft, light style of application. It also performs a geographical balancing act between the village on the hill "Le Haut de Cagnes" and the outskirts of "Le Cros de Cagnes".

Carl Moll's "Dahlias" (€ 70,000 – € 150,000) also stand out with their carefully chosen details. Moll is an innovator in this respect; he set new benchmarks that influenced the painting world. His dahlias really impress with their colour and liveliness.

By contrast, "Mondfrauen" by Otto Rudolf Schatz (€ 150,000 - € 300,000) fascinate with their rigid, almost frozen disposition. Schatz stands out here as one of the masters who adopted the essence of new realism and translated it into his own language.

An auction of this stature has to include works from Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele: indeed from Klimt there are a remarkable thirteen (!) drawings that start bidding at between € 10,000 and € 60,000, including four signed pages for the Beethoven Frieze. And then there are four Schiele drawings that are bound to secure international interest, in particular the "Rupert Koller" portrait estimated at € 100,000 – € 150,000.

Special attention will also be drawn to the only sculpture by Ludwig Wittgenstein. The sculpture of a girl (€ 100,000 – € 200,000) by the famous philosopher, who made major contributions to the philosophy of logic, language and awareness, relates to his intensive involvement in the arts and one of his key quotations: "Ethics and aesthetics are one".

Contemporary art

Every contemporary artist at the forefront of the Austrian art scene is represented in this auction: Maria Lassnig with her painting that is so significant for the women's movement "Mit einem Tiger schlafen" (€ 100,000 – € 180,000) as well as Arnulf Rainer, from whom we have acquired a range of works representing every period of his artistic creativity: from a fascinating ink drawing from the early 1950's (€ 10,000 –
€ 20.000) to a "Schwarze Übermalung" from 1959 (€ 50,000 –
€ 100,000) and a "Kreuz mit Handschuh" from the 1980's
(€ 70,000 – € 120,000).

Max Weiler is also in among the contemporary greats: a work from 1952 estimated at between € 60,000 and € 120,000 and his "Violetter Kogel", which can be obtained for € 80,000 –
€ 150,000.

Herbert Brandl, Austria's shooting star and this year's representative at the Biennale in Venice, has two large format oil paintings quoted at potentially volatile starting bid prices
(€ 20,000 – € 30,000 and € 18,000 – € 28,000).

A number of works from artists of international importance have also been acquired, such as Karel Appel with a "Walking Figure" from the year 1990 (€ 120,000 – € 200,000) and the exceptional British artist Banksy, whose "Kill Mom" can be secured for between € 30,000 and € 50,000.

Jugendstil

The top lot of the auction is a complete dining room by Peter Behrens, the prototype of which was first exhibited in the Wertheim department store in Berlin in 1902. During his artistic career the idea of "luxury commodity art at a price within everybody's reach" was so important to him as one of the founding members of the Munich Secession and later the Vereinigten Werkstätten für Kunst und Handwerk that he participated in the "Modern living" exhibition at the Wertheim store. To his surprise his dining room received enormous acclaim from the public. Today, the dark-brown stained oak dinning room, consisting of a large buffet, a high corner cupboard, a sideboard, a wall cupboard, 6 chairs, a table and a side table, is estimated at between € 230,000 and
€ 350,000.

We also have on offer a delicate yellow buffet from Dagobert Peche with colourful floral ornaments and carvings. The flowers appear to grow upwards from the lower edge of the buffet - this magnificent object is going at between € 20,000 and
€ 40,000.

There are also mirrors from Peche, rated as very special examples of his artistic creativity. The frame manufacturer Max Welz built many of these. Based on the success of these pieces at previous auctions they are estimated at between
€ 45,000 and € 100,000.

Our offering of vases from Lötz is particularly abundant this time around. Exhibits designed by Franz Hofstötter promise to attract a great deal of attention.

Auction: 20 & 21 November 2007

Viewing daily from 15 November 2007

Further information and photos available from:
Mag. Eva-Christina Tondolo, Tel. +43 1 5324200-11 tondolo@imkinsky.com