Edward Cucuel
Dame am See. Presumably 1910
Oil on canvas
55 x 43,5 cm (21.6 x 17.1 in)
Estimate: € 20 000-25 000

With excellent results for the first half-year, Ketterer Kunst is very positive about the upcoming fall auction season. Indeed, the range of offers in the auctions on 22 and 23 October 2010 will definitely delight bidders' hearts, and that does not only account for the big names of Modern and Contemporary Art, but also for the special section of Side lines of the German Avant-garde, with newly discovered artist that have potential for consistency.

1) Modern Art

This section is headed by Alexej von Jawlensky's work "Große Meditation" from 1937. Marked by illness, the artist created a new type of imagery with an almost religious passion in the late 1930s, that would become unmistakable. In his quest for the immaculateness of transcendence he resorts to icons, the origins of Russian art.

Other big names in this section are Edward Cucuel with his oil painting "Dame am See", which has been estimated at € 20 000-25 000, as well as Alexander Kanoldt and his "Wiesenlandschaft mit Gehöft", an interpretation of nature in which he combined an easy stroke of the brush with the seemingly contradictory Cubist style as early as in 1921. In this work Kanoldt did not only capture the landscape’s character, but also the place’s soul. The mundane estimate is at € 20.000-30.000.

The 1938 gouache "Komposition" by Otto Freundlich, a pioneer of abstract art, has been estimated € 15 000-20 000. A motif that evolves from a square and a fragment of a circle makes for the basis of this work that possesses a unique dynamic and lucent color values.

While Karl Hofer is represented with a classic Italian river landscape titled "Montagnola" from 1939 (estimate: € 18 000-24 000), Richard Müller pays tribute to a gone "Italianità" with his oil painting "Liegender weiblicher Akt in Landschaft, mit Lyra und Notenblatt". Erotic and symbolic significance compete with one another, the work’s ambivalent statement makes it particularly appealing. The estimate is at € 15 000-20 000.

The paradox interplay of intimacy and distance also makes for suspense in Albert Birkle's "Damenbildnis - Elisabeth Starosta mit Chiffon-Bluse und Hut". The oil painting, made around 1923/24, shows clear traces of New Objectivity with its clear line management and the depicted person’s reverie. It will be called up with an estimate of 10 000-15 000.

Along with Walter Dexel's oil painting "Zur Porta Romana II" from 1913, Franz Radziwill's "Margueriten" from 1952 will enter the race with an estimate of € 10 000-12 000. The latter calls reminiscence of Dürer‘s "Great Piece of Turf" from 1503, a key work of Northern Alpine landscape drawing, not only as far as the topic is concerned, but also in terms of the unusually low perspective. In Radziwill’s work, however, the field flowers executed in an accurateness comparable to that of the old masters are not depicted in front of an infinite sky, but rather in front of an impervious red background. Thus the artist masterly stages seemingly ordinary things in a metaphysic coolness and creates a magic realism of an unmatched presence. The same accounts for Franz Radziwill‘s oil painting "Eier die nachts liegen bleiben" from 1968, which has been estimated at € 8 000-10 000.

Erich Borchert
Sitzende. 1929
Watercolor and India ink 40,5x26,5 cm(15.9x10.4 in)
Estimate: € 2 400-2 800

2) Side lines of the German Avant-garde

Ketterer Kunst does not only take beaten paths on its way to success, as the topic Sidelines of the German Avant-garde as an independent work complex will be presented for the seventh time. This unusual concept honors artists of Expressionism and New Objectivity whose oeuvre was strongly depleted during National Socialism and World War II.

The focus of this auction is on quality, and accordingly on works by promising artists such as Christian Arnold ("Frau vor einer Straßenansicht", estimate: € 1 500-1 800), Harald Bengen (e.g. "Akt in Brandung", estimate: € 2 500-3 000), Erich Borchert ("Sitzende", estimate: € 2 400-2 800), Rudolf Jacobi ("Stadtansicht", estimate: € 700-900), Paul Kuhfuss (e.g. "Gloxinie", estimate: € 2 000-3 000) and Rudolf Schlichter ("Junge Frau mit Blumen", estimate: € 3 000-5 000), which will definitely make for exciting bidding skirmishes. The special section will be led by Lea Grundig‘s work on paper "In den Abgrund" from 1943, which carries an estimate of € 15.000-20.000 (see separate press release).

Fritz Koenig
Pietà. 1962/63
Bronze with brown patina,
30x19,5x9,5 cm (11.8x 7.6x3.7 in)
Estimate: € 15 000-20 000

This section is headed by Fritz Koenig's "Pietà", which has been estimated at € 15 000-20 000. According to Dietrich Clarenbach, the bronze from 1962/1963 is "the strongest works of all of Koenig‘s early religious works that tie in with old traditions of forms". The alternating permeation of two heads makes for a splendid representation of form and message in this work of art.

International art comes from Italy with Lucio Fontana and his "Concetto Spaziale - Teatrino (bianco)" (estimate: € 12 000-15 000), whereas a black and white photograph and India ink work by Valie Export (estimate: € 8 000-10 000) represents Austria. Originally from the USA, Tom Wesselmann's silkscreen in colors "Still Life with Lichtenstein and two oranges" (estimate: € 10 000-12 000) and Sam Francis’ untitled acrylic work from 1975 (estimate: € 9 000-12 000) have also found their way to Munich.

While a classic oil painting by Dieter Krieg ("No title (Kotlett im Schlaufe)") will be called up, Karl Fred Dahmen will be represented with his "Chiemgau-Legende", a work that is characteristic of his creations from the 1970s, with typical features such as upholstery, ropes, leather, iron and piano hammerheads. The estimate for each work is at € 9 000-12 000.

Besides Sigmar Polke's "Parkett-Jubiläum II", an artist book with printed maculate sheets of the magazine "Parkett" from 1994 (estimate: € 6 000-8 000), other interesting works come from artists such as Josef Albers, Stephan Balkenhol, Eduardo Chillida, Adolf Luther und Jörg Immendorff, the latter is represented with three of his typical apes. The small-format bronzes "Affe zur Umarmung" and "Affe als Mauerspringer" will be offered for € 5 000-6 000, the "Affe mit Ring" for € 2 500-3 000.