Contemporary Art - Great Abundance Of Important Art

At the pinnacle of the auction are two important works by Georg Baselitz (€ 450/650,000) and Günther Förg (€ 500/600,000). These are followed by 13 noteworthy six-figure works, often from the artists’ important work periods: from Cy Twombly (€ 200/300,0000 and € 80/120,000), Karel Appel (200/220,000 and (€ 150/180,000), Gerhard Richter (€ 240/280,000 and € 150/180,000), from Zdeněk Sýkora (€ 180/250,000), Herbert Brandl (€ 150/200,000) and Richard Hamilton (€ 140/150,000), as well as A.R. Penck (€ 100/150,000 and € 70/90,000), Maurizio Cattelan (€ 100/150,000) and Werner Berg (€ 80/120,000).

In ‘Der Jäger’ by Georg Baselitz from the ‘Remix’ series of 2007, themes of his earlier work are in part recombined. The picture is characterised by a distinctly quadripartition of the surface; the Hitler figure in the upper quarter is no longer pure suggestion, but clearly recognisable. The four planes are set off from each other in a painterly way, fiery brushwork alternates with surfaces left blank and hints of spray technique. Also striking: from top to bottom the colour palette is increasingly reduced (lot 22, € 450/650,000).

A six-part acrylic and lead work by Günther Förg from 1989 is also from an important work period. From the second half of the 1980s, Förg dedicates himself particularly to the lead pictures. They are his most well-known work group, in which the materiality of the chosen material emerges especially powerfully. In the extraordinarily beautiful six-part series offered in this auction, the unusual material remains hidden under the visible surface and shines through only subtly. The six individual vertical-format pictures show closed monochrome colour surfaces, each crossed in the right-hand quarter by a broad vertical line in dark red – an element that visually connects the works in reference to the proverbial ‘red (common) thread’ (lot 18, € 500/600,000).

Cy Twombly’s untitled 50 x 70 cm work on paper ‘(Roma)’ is from 1963, a very productive year for his oeuvre of drawings. The central, vertical composition is closed to the lower edge with scriptural elements that flow into the artist’s signature (lot 12, € 200/300,000). A further sheet from the previous year is valued at € 80/120,000 (lot 13).

Gerhard Richter is also represented by two works. A radical upheaval in Richter’s creativity takes place in the first ‘abstract picture’, created in 1976, and an important new work phase begins. The estrangement from overpaintings and grey pictures, with the radically objective lack of form, which, as he himself stated, had reached a creative dead end, brings something completely new with it. The present 42 x 40 cm ‘Abstraktes Bild’ from 1977 has an estimate of €240/280,000 (lot 16), whilst an oil on card from 1994, ‘3.3.94’, is set at € 100/150,000 (lot 20).

From Zdeněk Sýkora, whose paintings Lempertz has sold to great success in recent years (with an international record of € 1,052,000), ‘Linie Nr. 102’ from the year 1992 is now offered for auction. The painting was acquired direct from the artist and exhibited in the Ludwigshafen Wilhelm Hack Museum in 1995 (lot 15, €180/250,000). An untitled canvas by Herbert Brandl is also characterised by its unusual size: it measures 165 x 600 cm. In strong tones of red, the powerful picture has an estimate of € 150/200,000 (lot 77). Richard Hamilton worked from 1958 to 1961 on the iconic painting ‘$he’, combining oil painting, airbrush and collage. The present, 25.7 x 19.5 cm ‘Study for $he’ from 1958 has an important provenance: The work was a gift from the artist to Joseph Beuys, has been in the collection of the Beuys family ever since, and has been prominently exhibited several times (lot 59, €140/150,000).

A.R. Penck is also present with two works. ‘Ich in London 1’ from 1982 was created two years after his expatriation from the GDR. This move was accompanied by a change in style, as his paintings became freer and less constrained: lavish use of oil paint and acrylics as well as a wealth of new techniques and approaches led to a change in the pictorial language (lot 6, €100/150,000). A further work, ‘Homer und die Folgen’ from 1996 is valued at €70/90,000 (lot 81), whilst an untitled C-print by Maurizio Cattelan has an estimate of € 100/150,000 (lot 44). An artist much in demand, including in Austria, Werner Berg’s artistic expression was influenced by Expressionism and Magic Realism: he depicted the scenes of everyday rural life in reduced clear forms with defined contours and in bright colours. The ‘boys playing skittles' of the village are a frequently represented motif of the 1960s and 1970s – as also in the canvas from 1976 offered here (lot 55, €80/120,000). Two characteristic works by Karel Appel from the early 1960s are offered. His typical impetuous application of paint also dominated the pictorial language of the 1960s and 1970s, however, with respect to its motifs, this language often appeared calmer. ‘Badende’ from 1962 is valued at €200/220,000 (lot 23), whilst ‘Nue’, belonging to the work series of female nudes, created one year prior and exhibited numerous times, is at €150/180,000 (lot 61).

Works by Norbert Bisky (‘Neozon’, 2020, lot 85, € 80/90,000), Antonio Calderara (lot 93, € 60/80,000), Andy Warhol (colour silk screen ‘Mick Jagger’ – signed by the artist and musician – lot 60, € 60/80,000) and a sculpture by Joannis Avramidis (lot 29, € 60/80,000) round up, alongside others, the high-quality offer.

Auction Dates

Auction 1200 - Evening Sale - Contemporary Art

Photography Post War & Contemporary Art Modern Art
Wednesday 01. 06. 2022, 06:00 pm
Lot 1 - 97
Auction 1200
Auction
Cologne,
Wednesday, June 1
Evening Sale 1200
6 pm, lot 1 – 97

You are kindly invited to leave your bids by telephone or online. The auction will be streamed live at www.lempertz.com.
Preview
Cologne, Neumarkt 3
Saturday, May 28, 10 am – 4 pm
Sunday, May 29, 11 am – 4 pm
Monday, May 30, 10 am – 7 pm
Tuesday, May 31, 10 am – 5.30 pm

Vernissage
Friday, May 27, 6 pm

Berlin (a selection), Poststr. 22
Tuesday, May 17, 11 am – 9 pm
Wednesday, May 18, 11 am – 5 pm

Brussels (a selection), 6 rue du Grand Cerf
Thursday, May 19 – Saturday, May 21,
10 am – 6 pm
Catalogue
PDF-Catalogue

Auction 1201 - Day Sale - Contemporary Art

Photography Post War & Contemporary Art Modern Art
Thursday 02. 06. 2022, 02:00 pm
Lot 300 - 437
Auction 1201
Auction
Cologne,
Thursday, June 2
Day Sale 1201
2 pm, lot 300 – 437

The auction room is kept free of germs and viruses by a UVC filter system.
The auction will be streamed live at www.lempertz.com.
Preview
Cologne, Neumarkt 3
Saturday, May 28, 10 am – 4 pm
Sunday, May 29, 11 am – 4 pm
Monday, May 30, 10 am – 7 pm
Tuesday, May 31, 10 am – 5.30 pm

Vernissage
Friday, May 27, 6 pm

Berlin (a selection), Poststr. 22
Tuesday, May 17, 11 am – 9 pm
Wednesday, May 18, 11 am – 5 pm

Brussels (a selection), 6 rue du Grand Cerf
Thursday, May 19 – Saturday, May 21,
10 am – 6 pm
Catalogue
PDF-Catalogue

Auction 1206 - Contemporary online - monochrome art

Monday 27. 06. 2022 - Wednesday 06. 07. 2022
Auction
Auction 1206 - Contemporary online - monochrome art will take place as an online auction between 27.06.2022, 10 am and 06.07.2022, 4pm.

During this time you can bid on the lots of the auction online.

Register now to participate in the auction! Please note that a separate registration is required for our online auctions.

Please also note that due to the new Money Laundering Act, we are obliged to carry out an identity check on our customers. You can easily and securely upload the necessary documents on our website. You will find the link to this on the right.
Preview
Preview of single works on request.

Auction 1202 - Contemporary online - 1960s to present

Monday 13. 06. 2022 - Wednesday 22. 06. 2022
Auction
Auction 1202 - Contemporary online - 1960s to present will take place as an online auction from 13 June, 10 am, to 22 June, 4 pm.

During this time you can bid on the lots of the auction online.

Register now to participate in the auction! Please note that a separate registration is required for our online auctions.

Please also note that due to the new Money Laundering Act, we are obliged to carry out an identity check on our customers. You can easily and securely upload the necessary documents on our website. You will find the link to this on the right.
Preview
Preview of single works on request.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 0221/92 57 29–30.

Edgar Abs
Press and public relations
Cologne, May 2022