A strong offering with sales in the millions for Modern Art and Old Masters, as well as exceptional museum-quality works in the decorative arts, brought Lempertz a total result of 27.3 million euros this spring season. The world's oldest family-owned auction house thus significantly increased its turnover compared to the previous year, bucking the general market trend.

Spectacular pieces fetched millions: A rediscovered masterpiece by Jan Davidsz. de Heem became the most expensive work in the Old Masters department at 3.55 million euros, making it the highest price achieved at a spring auction in Germany. With “Komposition auf Rosa (Rekonstruktion)”, a major work by Oskar Schlemmer achieved a price of 1.36 million euros in the Evening Sale. Lempertz has been commissioned to auction the artist's estate and has thus once again been confirmed as the auction house to turn to for important collections.

In Lempertz's traditionally strong silver department, a Renaissance nef from the Regensburg silver find, which had been walled up for 400 years, particularly inspired the bidders and fetched a result of €327,000. Helmut Newton's “Tied-up Torso (Henrietta Ficellée)” was the most expensive photograph of the season at over €69,000, confirming Lempertz' standing as the German market leader for photography auctions. Growing specialty areas were another factor in this success: Works and bidders from India accounted for an increasing proportion of the Asian Art auctions. A “White Glove Sale” for Indian painting was a highly satisfactory result.

Jan Bykowski
Press and Public Relations
info@lempertz.com
Tel. 0221 925729 -57