PRESS RELEASE
Follow-up report75th art auction on the 13th and 14th of October 2009
With a turnover of more than 3.1 Million Euros a remarkable success could be celebrated by im Kinsky with paintings of old masters, from the 19th century, of classic modernism and of contemporary art.
The highest bid obtained very good 62.4% of the estimated price. A drop of bitterness is the sales rate of 46%: especially in respect of the relation between the sums of the highest bid and the estimated price, it clearly shows that currently high quality gains high prices, but that the less unique often fails.
The highest hammer price of the first auction day was obtained by a painting of the old masters: Martin Johann Schmidt’s (Kremser Schmidt) antiquated “Familienbild” was auctioned against two museums by a private art lover for € 220.000 (purchase price € 268.000). The success of the painting couldn’t even be stopped by an export ban of the Federal Monuments Office.
Scarcely less was realized by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller’s “Betendes Mädchen” from the paintings from the 19th century: Also this painting was hotly contested and went to a Viennese collector for € 190.000 (purchase price
€ 257.250).
In the case of the classic modernism a drawing by Egon Schiele fetched the highest price with € 50.000 (€62.500), but with reservations. The audience reacted in various ways to more then 50 paper artworks by Herbert Ploberger: Everything from high bids to total refusal was possible.
In the case of the contemporary art the early (1953/54) painting by Arnulf Rainer yielded the highest hammer price with € 100.000 (€128.450). The art consultant secured “Vollmond” for an anonymous remaining collector
. “Malerei I” by Hans Staudacher was sold for€ 28.000 (36.100),Helmut Leherb’s “Hochzeit des Figaro” for € 30.000 (€37.860). Alfred Kornberger’s “Akt” obtained the same price. Highly in demand were the paintings by Franz Grabmayr. € 26.000 (€ 33.522) are likely to be a record price for him. The same feat was accomplished by Karl Stark with “Innergschlössl”, which succeeded with € 31.000 (40.341).
On the second day the antiques were up for sale. The auction marathon of Palais Kinsky lasted six and a half hours during which 647 antiques were offered and of which 489 found a new owner (76%). The high sales rate is mainly own to the auction sale of the legacy of a Viennese antique dealer, which was sold to a 100% - when no bidder was found for the starting price, the audience was simply requested to suggest a price themselves, which then was used as a base for the bidding.
This way hammer prices were created, which are usually not typical for im Kinsky. A genuine Persian Borsalou carpet was for instance given away for € 38. On the other hand there were also very good increases; a French desk from the 19th century was increased to € 11.500 (€ 14.375), a French chandelier from about 1730 to € 13.000 (€ 16.250), a sculpture of God the father to € 11.000 (€ 13.750), a Téte-a-Téte to € 12.000 (€15.000).
In the “normal” auction sector a pair of large Alhambra vases of the manufacture Lobmeyr yielded, conform to the estimated value, € 15.000 (€ 18.750), an Ellenmaß from the time around 1600 was pushed from € 250 (!) to € 11.000 (€ 13.750). Also an Italian wax manufacture from the 18th century, the figure of a devil, a tabernacle armoire of Renaissance style and a Kronsdorfer Schrank could be handed over for a five figured Euro sum.
With a daily turnover of slightly less than one million Euros the turnover of the 75th auction increased to over four million Euros.
The next auction is taking place on the 1st & 2nd of December and is entirely devoted to the art of the 20th century – classic modernism, contemporary art and Jugendstil are on the agenda.
Catalogue orders: +43 1 5324200 or office@imkinsky.com
Online catalogue: www.imkinsky.com
