Dorotheum’s Contemporary Week for November/December 2021 has arrived! Modern and contemporary art will be on sale, and Art in Vienna previews the auctions for you. We will focus on three auctions: the Modern Art auction on 30th November 2021, the Contemporary Art I Auction on 1st December 2021, and the Contemporary Art II Auction on 2nd December 2021 – all starting at 6 pm.
As Vienna is currently in lockdown, live bidding at Dorotheum’s premises is not possible. Instead, you can register for live online bidding in advance or use the in-house broker. In case you just want to watch, you can view the live stream.
Modern Art, 30th November 2021
© Dorotheum
Albin Egger-Lienz, “Auferstehung”, 1923, first draft for the painting “Christi Auferstehung” (Kirschl M607 – in possession of the Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Innsbruck), oil on cardboard, 71.5 x 101 cm, Modern Art Auction 30 November 2021, estimate € 300,000 - € 450,000.
It might not surprise that the Dorotheum praises its pieces by Albin Egger-Lienz, given that the auction house achieved a record price of 1,03 million Euros for his work “Totentanz 1809” in a previous sale in June 2021 (its initial estimate ranged from € 500,000 to € 800,000).
On 30th November, three additional works will feature in the auction. The first is a study of a peasant’s head which appears in “Totentanz 1809”. Its size is modest (29 x 35 cm) but, as the artist wrote in a letter dated 1909, “its harsh, rusty character” promotes a “monumental effect” (estimate: € 40,000 to € 55,000).
The second work, called “Ackerlandschaft mit Sämann” is a painting of a field, and the third is a draft for the painting “Christi Auferstehung,” drafted 1923 with the title “Auferstehung” (estimate € 300,000 to € 450,000).
Several other positions are noteworthy. Among them are studies by Gustav Klimt with very reasonable estimates (€ 6,000 to € 180,000), nudes by Fritz Wotruba (with estimates starting at € 5,000), and several positions by Alfons Walde, most notably his depiction of the Wilder Kaiser mountain from 1930 (estimate: € 280,000 to € 450,000).
© Dorotheum
La colombe en vol, fonds noir, 1950, signed Picasso, lithograph on vellum, no. 24 from the edition of 50 examples, image size 49.8 x 64.5 cm, sheet size 50.3 x 66 cm, Mourlot 190, Rau 504, framed, estimate € 7,000 to € 7,500.
From an art market perspective, it will be interesting to see how the positions of Picasso develop. The Museum Ludwig in Cologne recently devoted a monumental exhibition to him, which addresses Picasso’s reception in East and West Germany. The positions on auction at Dorotheum include a lithograph of his famous pigeon (La colombe en vol, fonds noir, 1950, no. 24 of 50 examples), which profoundly features at Museum Ludwig’s exhibition (estimate: € 7,000 to € 7,500). The other work is a drawing called “Deux femmes nues debout” from 1925, with estimates from € 50,000 to € 70,000.
Contemporary Art I and II, 1st and 2nd December 2021
The first contemporary art auction on 1st December 2021 features a nice range of paintings by Georges Mathieu, which are characterized by their movement and fast-paced creation (allegedly, he produced works in merely a couple of minutes). Three of his works are for sale; bidding estimates range from € 65,000 to € 350,000. The auction also features works by Hans Hartung, Arnulf Rainer, and Hermann Nitsch.
© Dorotheum
Martha Jungwirth, Untitled, from the series "Kambodscha", signed, dated Martha Jungwirth 2005, watercolour on paper, 137 x 101 cm, framed, estimate € 37,000 to € 45,000.
Art in Vienna’s clear favorite is a watercolor painting from Martha Jungwirth’s series Kambodscha. Hues ranging from deep red to dark violet, with splashes of light blue, yellow, and rosé tones, make this an outstanding piece.
The second contemporary art auction, taking place on 2nd December 2021, presents itself quite differently. This sale features graphic prints, geometrical paintings, clear shapes, and succinct lines. Represented artists range from Andy Warhol to Roy Liechtenstein.
The sale contains several positions with lower starting ranges (estimates starting at € 1,500), making it an ideal auction for young collectors. Noteworthy are the works by Italian painter Nicola de Maria (estimate: € 5,000 to € 6,000) and French painter Jean Miotte (estimate: € 18,000 to € 28,000).
Fans of Viennese Actionism might want to know that works of artist Günter Brus are on auction, including photographic documentation of his last action of self-mutilation and self-painting, called “Zerreissprobe” (1970), estimating between € 12,000 and € 22,000.
© Dorotheum
Kiki Kogelnik, “Pineapple Head”, 1995, from the series “Little Heads”, monogrammed K. K. and numbered 17/40 (+ XIII A. P.) on the base, Murano glass, height 41 cm, estimate € 14,000 to € 22,000.
Art in Vienna’s favorite of the Contemporary Art II auction is Kiki Kogelnik’s “Pineapple Head” from 1995. It is made from Murano glass and is part of the series “Little Heads”. Bidding has already superseded its estimates and reached € 28,000 on the evening of 29th November 2021.
Overall, the modern and contemporary art auctions at Dorotheum's Contemporary Week feature an impressive range of lots with many outstanding pieces. Register in advance for live bidding, or watch the stream of the auction if you are interested in how the pieces discussed here develop in terms of auction sales.
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