The complete sale of the Grohmann Collection

One highlight from the Grohmann offer was Joan Miró’s work on paper “Femme et oiseaux dans la nuit” from 1967 with a personal dedication from the artist. The Spanish market had to compete against 15 telephone bids pushing the sheet up to a considerable € 161,000 (lot 203, € 70/90,000). Also with a dedication, “Triebkräfte der Erde” was painted in oil on paper in 1944 by Fritz Winter. This work sold for € 112,000 to a German private collection (lot 200, € 80/120,000). All four works up for auction by Willi Baumeister also succeeded: the highest result of € 57,000 was seen for “Taucher mit Spiegelung” painted in 1950/51 in oil and sand on canvas and mounted on hardboard (lot 204, €30/40,000). Han Arp’s 25.3 cm high bronze “Petite figure appuyée dite l'égyptienne” from 1938 went for € 93,000 to a German collection (lot 202, € 80/100,000).

The Gemmer Collection, probably the largest private collection of works by the German late impressionist Paul Baum, also triumphed; the collection of almost 100 paintings, drawings and prints were presented in an elaborate catalogue. The highlight of the collection “Junge Baumgruppe an Bachlauf” from the year 1905 was pushed up from € 50/60,000 to € 87,000 (lot 2). This was followed by “Frühlingslandschaft bei Hyères”, painted four years later, with a result of € 68,000 (lot 7, € 55/60,000). The prints were taken over en bloc by a German collector.

Alexander Archipenko’s important modern bronze sculpture “Green Concave (Woman combing her hair)” from 1913 was offered as Exemplar 2/6. An English collector persisted against international bidders to € 223,000 (lot 232, € 150/180,000). Pierre-Auguste Renoir was represented by “Gabrielle, nu assis de profil”. The charcoal drawing from 1910 has moved now to a German collection for € 161,000 (lot 228, € 120/150,000).

Amongst Lesser Ury’s pastel works, the atmospheric depictions of cities with their streets and cafés are particularly impressive and belong without doubt to the classic masterpieces of late German Impressionism. His works always awaken great interest in auctions, as was also seen at Lempertz with “Blick auf die Konditorei Moritz Dobrin in der Lennéstraße 1 im Tiergarten, Berlin”, an early/after 1926 pastel which rose against strong competition to € 130,000 from € 50/70,000 (lot 223). “Herbstliche Straßenszene bei Regen, Berlin”, a further pastel from 1925-30 was also taken over by a German collector, this time for € 112,000 (lot 222).

Georg Meistermann’s WDR-Probe-Glasfenster from 1952 ignited an unrelenting bidding war. In the end, the German trade had to dig far deeper into their pocket than the € 30,000 estimate had suggested resulting in an international record for this artist with € 149,000. The 113.8 x 101.3 cm window was, incidentally, the artist’s original competition design (lot 263).

“Venezianische Gasse nach rechts” from 1878, an early work by Max Liebermann, moved to a South German private collection for € 52,000 (lot 216, € 30/40,000), whilst Mela Muter’s canvas “Landschaft mit Kiefern” from 1915 from the artist’s estate sold to a Polish collector for € 74,000 (lot 231, € 60/80,000). Oskar Schlemmer’s “Ornamentale Plastik” from the year 1919 took the form of a 46 cm high silver sculptural relief, one of presumably ten casts initiated by Tut Schlemmer from 1965 (lot 255, € 80/120,000).

Amongst the usual strong offer of Expressionist sheets shone Erich Heckel’s sought-after colour woodcut “Männerbildnis” from 1919. Vigorous interest forced the print from € 40/60,000 up to € 105,000 (lot 237).