Lempertz ended this year's spring season with a sensational result

Kunsthaus Lempertz ended this year's spring season with a sensational result of 35.2 million euro, and so with this is Germany's auction house with the greatest turnover. This is hardly surprising when one considers that Lempertz held a record number of auctions this season, and is the only German house to hold auctions in three countries. A very pleasing end to the season for Lempertz' owner Professor Henrik Hanstein who will celebrate his 40th anniversary for the company in September.

The growing internationalization of Lempertz is very noticeable: half of the consignments for the Old Masters auction came from abroad, as did over 50% of the buyers. The increase in single owner sales has also gathered momentum, as seen this season with the third part of the important Kolodotschko collection of netsuke, as well as an unusual Viennese collection of Russian avant-garde porcelain. The Soviet porcelain reached world record prices, whilst more than doubling the turnover of Lempertz' auctions held in Berlin. The yearly auction of jewellery which rounded off the season at the end of July in Monaco in cooperation with Francois Tajan was also a huge success, with buyers reaching across 32 countries. The highlight of the auction came, as seen last year, from the Rhineland: a highly unusual Cashmere sapphire which sold for 930.000 Euro.

The chronicle of the 200 year history of Kunsthaus Lempertz, which once counted Johann Wolfgang von Goethe amongst its clients, will be published by DuMont on 26 September 2015 and will include three original graphic works from Gerhard Richter, Gerhard Marcks and HAP Grieshaber.