PRESS RELEASE
70th Art Auction
14 & 15 October 2008
15 years of im Kinsky auctions – an anniversary that seems to have inspired the acquisitions for the auction on 14 and 15 October 2008. All in all, almost 900 pictures and antiques with a total estimated value of 5.2 to 8.9 million Euros will be going under the hammer.
OLD MASTERS
From the Old Masters the greatest attractions are bound to be a village scene with farmers drinking in front of a pub by Joost Cornelisz Droochsloot, quoted at € 40,000 - 80,000 and a "Portrait with child" attributed to Annibale Carracci (Bologna 1560 - 1609 Rome) rousing the very highest expectations (€ 80,000 – 150,000). The provenance can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century in the collection of the Counts of Tarnowski; in 1955 the painting was shown in the exhibition "European Old Masters" in the National Museum of Krakow, where it remained in storage until 1994, no doubt that this is a real Carracci. A drawing by Carracci in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence further reinforces the attribution. The "Male head with beard and moustache" indeed shows the same portrait in mirror-image pose.
19th CENTURY PAINTINGS
Admirers of 19th century paintings can look forward to the full range of masterly painting styles from Biedermeier to Mood impressionism; from the detailed "Deer at the trough" by Friedrich Gauermann (€ 35,000 – 70,000), to a "Motif of Szered an der Waag“ by Eugen Jettel (€ 35,000 – 70,000), for which August von Pettenkofen was responsible for the animal staffage shown at the annual exhibition of the Künstlerhaus 1872, the World Exhibition in Vienna 1873 and at the VIth international art exhibition in Munich 1892.
Anton Romako's "Children fishing in front of a birch wood" (€ 35.000 – 70.000) is an especially daring work, while historical painting is excellently represented by a piece commissioned in 1852 by the Austrian Art Association entitled "Count Kolonitz, Bishop of Neustadt, leads the children of murdered Christian prisoners out of the Turkish camp into the city following the siege of Vienna by the Turks in 1683" by Carl Rahl
(€ 25,000 – 50,000); a real rarity that will attract a great deal of interest.
CLASSIC MODERNISM
Classic Modernism rounds off the exhibits with collectors spoilt for choice with Anton Faistauer's "Flowers and fruit still life with white bread" dated 1928 (€ 80,000 – 140,000) and Herbert Boeckl's "Large flower piece" from the year 1927 (€ 100,000 – 150,000).
One solution would be to decide in favour of something quite different, such as Gustav Klimt's "Standing nude in half rotated pose to the right" from 1905/07 (€ 50,000 – 100,000), or Herbert Gurschner's "Modern market scene" from around 1935 (€ 40,000 – 60,000), or even the impressive physiognomy of an "Hermit" by Albert Birkle (€ 25,000 – 50,000).
CONTEMPORARY ART
The Contemporary section boasts a work of the most famous Austrian artist internationally, Friedensreich Hundertwasser: his "Kaiser Franz Josef Spital" dated 1972/73 will not be going for less than € 100,000 – 140,000. While Hundertwasser still worked together with Arnulf Rainer in the "Hundsgruppe", Rainer created a surrealistic "Self-portrait on a February day" (€ 30,000 – 60,000), which ought to attract a lot of interest because nothing comparable has yet been auctioned. As always at im Kinsky, the dominance of Austrian artists is evident: including Max Weiler, from whom several works can be chosen (e.g. "In the beginning", € 60,000 – 100,000) and Robert Zeppel-Sperl, whose "Portrait of Andre Heller" was exhibited as early as 1968 in the famous "Realities" exhibition in the Secession (€ 20,000 – 30,000), or a work by Josef Mikl from the early 70s (€ 2,000 – 38,000) and "Gomera", a large format oil painting by Herbert Brandl (€ 20,000 – 35,000).
The Fantastic Realists are represented more prominently for a change by works such as Rudolf Hausner's "Adam introspective" (€ 60,000 – 100,000), Arik Brauer's "Last cockroach" from 1963 (€ 30,000 – 50,000) and Wolfgang Hutter's "Female arsonist" from the year 1965 (€ 25,000 – 40,000)..
ANTIQUES
The antiques on the 2nd day of the auction are headlined in particular by sculptures such as a pair of Reliefs by Johann Georg Schwanthaler (€ 50,000 – 100,000), the portrayal of Shepherds worshipping Christ in the manger and Christ's descent from the cross, both in threequarter relief, and both panels with an inscribed signature. As well as a Praying mary attributed to Hans Leinberger that possesses a very high antiquity quality
(€ 50,000 – 100,000).
Enthusiasm is also expected to greet a real rarity - a "Flötensekretär", or cabinet organ, built in Vienna between 1815 and 1820. Viennese cabinet organs were sought-after luxury items during the Biedermeier period. Contemporary sources indicate that these music boxes were the ultimate lifestyle "must have" and were the pride of their owners. The specifications of the furniture, dimensions of the organ itself and the selection of the musical repertoire were customised to each purchaser's individual wishes. Our cabinet organ is built from walnut and features 16 rollers with one register and 2 documents from 1866. It is bound to fetch € 40,000 – 80,000.
70th ART AUCTION
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Old Masters, 19th Century Paintings,
Classic Modernism: starts 3 pm
Contemporary Art: starts 6 pm
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Antiques: starts 3 pm
PRIVATE VIEWING of our anniversary auction
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
6 pm – 8 pm in the exhibition rooms
Lectures, start 6.30 pm
Dr. Helga Achleitner "Die Bildhauerfamilie Schwanthaler"
Prof. Peter Baum "Das surrealistische Frühwerk Arnulf Rainer"
on the 1st floor of Palais Kinsky, Freyung 4, 1010 Vienna
PRIOR VIEWING
9 to 15 October 2008
Monday – Friday: 10 am to 6 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 11 am to 4 pm
I would please to hear from you if you require additional information or would like to order photos:
Iris J. Gradenegger
tel. +43 1 5324200-11, e-mail: gradenegger@imkinsky.com.
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