Contemporary Art - Box-Shaped – And Cadmium Red

The high point of the two-day auction with an estimate of € 400/500,000 is Donald Judd’s “Half Solid Tube Piece” from the year 1990. Donald Judd began working with large box-shaped objects made of plywood at the beginning of the 1960s. By being placed directly on the ground, they formed a direct connection to the surrounding space, their block-like character broken open by a half pipe-shaped opening on the top. They are painted entirely with cadmium red – according to the artist, the light, bright red is the only colour which makes the real dimensions and the sharp-edged contours of the cubic objects precisely visible. Having begun his artistic career as a painter, these wooden box-objects mark a deciding step for Judd from two to three-dimensionality (lot 142).

Two further highlights are from Marcel Broodthaers: a nine-part typographically printed canvas work “Gestalt-Bild-Abbildung” from 1973. Between 1972 and 1975, the Belgian conceptual artist created a series of multi-part so-called paintings, brought together under the title “Peintures littéraires”. The works were each made up of nine canvases hung in a defined pattern (lot 179). “Socle”, made of black and white painted plywood featuring a play on his monogram M. B. from the year 1967 is estimated at € 100/150,000 (lot 178).

Karel Appel is also prominently represented – an artist whose works Lempertz has successfully auctioned in recent years. On offer are a 162 x 130 cm untitled canvas (“Badende”) from 1962 for € 200/220,000 (lot 156), and the painting “Nue” from the series of female nudes from the year 1961 and estimated at € 180/220,000 (lot 155). 

As is usual at Lempertz, Gerhard Richter is present with a number of works. “Abdallah” from 2010, a 22 x 16 cm varnish behind glass small picture is valued at € 100/150,000 (lot 126), whilst a further small canvas from 1988, “Blech” is set at € 60/80,000 (lot 123).

Christo created "Mein Kölner Dom, Wrapped" in 1992, executed in pencil, charcoal, pastel, wax crayon, photocopy, fabric, string and card on cardboard on wood, the multimedia work is valued at € 100/150.000 (lot 188).

Joannis Avramidis is represented by the 161 cm bronze sculpture “Mittlere Zweifigurengruppe” from 1964 (lot 111, € 140/160,000). Lempertz regularly auctions works by Andy Warhol very successfully. Offered this time are a small canvas “Ladies and Gentlemen”, a portrait of Wilhelmina Ross from 1975, valued at € 130/150,000 (lot 148), and the colour silkscreen “Madonna and Self-Portrait with Skeletons Arm (After Munch)” from 1948 (lot 117, € 100/120,000). William Nelson Copley is present with an untitled work (“Trust Lust”) for € 80/120,000 (lot 198), and Günther Förg by a canvas from 2000, a period when he returned to the grid structures in his pictures, with an estimate of € 90/110,000 (lot 141).

The offer is complemented by by a three-part canvas from Julian Stanczak for € 60/80,000 (lot 214) and an acrylic on card picture from 1973 by Hans Hartung entitled “P1973-B16” (lot 102, € 40/60,000). With estimates between € 30,000 and € 60,000 are works by A. R. Penck (lot 199), Peter Roehr (lot 112/113), Paul Thek (lot 176), and Günter Fruhtrunk with a work from the year 1962 (lot 212).