Once again, the Auction House in Kinsky recorded many top bids - in this respect, a new world record for a work by Xenia Hausner should be mentioned. In addition to the usually strong departments of Modern Art and Contemporary Art, the Antiques scored particularly well this time: with a marble statue of Empress Elisabeth, the Auction House achieved a particularly high selling price. Please find enclosed a quick overview of some highlights.
Contemporary Art
The upper estimate was reached by a rare, already repeatedly exhibited joint work by Maria Lassnig and Arnulf Rainer, which was created in the years 1949/50, when the two were a couple. The paperwork was eventually worth € 171,000 (highest bid € 130,000) to the highest bidder.
The numerous works by Hermann Nitsch in the auction also found new owners, above all a relic from the 109th action of 17.11.2001. This went for € 132,000 (highest bid € 100,000). All other works by the artist in the auction were also in great demand.
The works of the artists of the Austrian School of Fantastic Realists are also enduringly popular. One of these is Professor Ernst Fuchs, who created a large-scale oil painting named Kronos. This work, which was previously part of the Stronach Collection, was sold for € 132,000 (highest bid € 100,000).
Interest – and thus prices – in the works of the Austrian Xenia Hausner, born in 1951, is also rising sharply. In her painting Winterreise (winter travel) she probably processed the death of her father, this touching motif achieved € 112,000 (highest bid € 85,000), which means a new auction record for this artist.
A special work in the auction from the time of Informel Art came from Günter Brus. His 1960 work Informel found a buyer for € 105,500 (highest bid € 80,000). The artist's second work, one of his typical pictorial poems (Death and Transfiguration from 1980), was also purchased for the upper estimate of € 53,000 (highest bid € 40,000).
Modern Art
The enchanting gouache by Marc Chagall was able to much exceed the already very high expectations: Only at a sale price of € 430,500 (highest bid € 330,000) did the bidding battles for Fleurs et Femme en rêve end. The imaginative, symbolic dream images of the master are still very much sought after.
The auction focus around Alfons Walde also proved to be a successful idea. The largely market-fresh works aroused lively bidding interest.
The star painting was probably Waldes Bergweiler, created in 1947, which was sold for € 392,000 (highest bid € 300,000). Other works of his were also able to achieve high results; including Tiroler Dorf im Sommer (Oberndorf bei Kitzbühel mit Horn), painted in 1935, which was sold for € 288,500 (highest bid € 220,000), as well as a Sunday in Tyrol, created around 1922, which brought in € 197,000 (highest bid € 150,000).
The lively interest in Norbertine Bresslern-Roth's snow leopard stood for the long-lasting popularity of the animal painter from Graz; the painting reached a selling price of € 210,500 (highest bid € 160,000).
The expectations were also fulfilled by reclining woman with a ruffled dress, captured in 1908/09 by the master Gustav Klimt with blue colored pencil on paper. The selling price was € 179,500 (highest bid € 140,000).
A work by Pierre-Auguste Renoir from 1866 also aroused a great deal of interest. The young man in the forest of Fontainebleau exceeded the upper estimate and reached a selling price of €135,000 (highest bid € 105,000).
Antiques
The statue of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, which is an image of the well-known monument in the Volksgarten and was created by the same artist, Hans Bitterlich, in 1907, more than lived up to expectations. It was changed hands for the selling price of € 320,000 (highest bid € 250,000).
The wonderful Haban faiences from Transylvania also generated extraordinary interest in the auction. The Habaner roller jug from 1653 pictured above reached the selling price of € 32,000 (highest bid € 25,000), while two screw bottles, also from the 17th century, achieved € 27,000 (highest bid € 21,000) and € 26,000 (highest bid € 20,000) respectively.
The auction of the watch collection from the possession of the Viennese engineer Karl Sochor was also extremely successful, the variety and quality of the watches attracting a large number of bidders. In total, the collection fetched the fantastic selling price of € 322,000 (€ 251,500 without fees). Special highlights included the pocket watch chronometer by J. F. Houriet, which exceeded its estimated price several times and was sold with a retail price of € 35,000 (highest bid € 27,000); as well as a rare jewelry watch by Patek Philippe, which was sold for € 21,000 (highest bid € 16,000).
Art Nouveau & Design
The auction house offered a very special rarity with Oskar Kokoschka's "The Dreaming Boys", created in 1906 in cooperation with the Wiener Werkstätte. This offer was much appreciated by the bidders; and this wonderful work sold for € 29,500 (highest bid € 22,000).
Another rarity was offered by the auction house with this unique piece by Josef Hoffmann and the Wiener Werkstätte. The silver-plated candlestick, created in 1931, brought a selling price of € 26,000 (highest bid € 20,000).
The interest in special vases from Art Nouveau is also unbroken, as this object by Koloman Moser and Johann Lötz Witwe proves, which was sold for € 18,000 (highest bid € 14,000).
A dancer from the Hagenauer workshops, created around 1960, was finally auctioned off for € 16,000 (highest bid € 13,000).
19th Century Paintings
The wonderful insight that Friedrich Gauermann delivers into the life of the country population is manifest in his oil painting barn with rushed-in cattle from 1843. This depiction created large interest between bidders, and the hammer fell at a selling price of € 205.000 (highest bid € 160.000).
The adorable little girl with a dog family, masterfully depicted by Mihály von Munkácsy in 1877, aroused a great deal of interest. It therefore more than doubled its upper estimate and eventually reached a selling price of € 179,500 (highest bid € 140,000).
One of the most famous female painters of the 19th century, Pauline von Koudelka-Schmerling, also enjoyed great popularity. Her rich fruit still life with grapes, pineapples and peaches from 1833 was worth the upper estimate of € 64,000 (highest bid € 50,000).
Orientalist depictions are still very much sought after. The present oriental slave trader by an artist of the 19th century brought a result of € 39,500 (highest bid € 31,000).
Old Master Paintings
Another success was the portrait of a gentleman in black robe and white collar from the circle of Peter Paul Rubens, which exceeded the estimated price by more than half and reached € 115,500 (highest bid € 90,000).
There was also great interest in the judgment of Midas, created around 1600 by Hans Rottenhammer and Jan Brueghel the Elder. The piece was finally sold for € 64,000 (highest bid € 50,000).
Last but not least, views of Venice by artists such as Vincenzo Chilone enjoy great popularity. The painting, created around 1780, came close to its upper estimate with a selling price of € 51,500 (highest bid € 40,000).