Günther Uecker, Hommage à Paul Scheerbart ("Scheerbartwesen"), Späte 1960. Nails and white paint on burlap, on wood. Signed lower right. Verso signed, titled and dedicated "Uecker für Wolleh". 175 x 176 cm (68.8 x 69.2 in). Estimate: € 300,000 ($ 327,000). Sold: € 1,875,000 ($ 2.043.750).  Photo Ketterer Kunst

MUNICH.- Spectacular results, sharp increases and new records – this sums up the summer auction at Ketterer Kunst. 1000 phone bidders from all over the world and a packed saleroom had their share in the all-time record proceeds of more than € 25 million. 

Almost 40 results crossed the € 100,000 line, two of them even reached the millions, of which one is the new auction world record for a work by the Zero artist Günther Uecker. The nail object “Hommage à Paul Scheerbart“ climbed from € 300,000 (calling price) to € 1,875,000. 

Robert Ketterer on the course of the auction: “It is not just the results, moreover, it is the increasing demand and the trust our buyers have that prove our strategy to be right. With that in mind we put the focus on classicist modernism and post war art, as well as on contemporary art. In doing so we do not only set trends, but we meet our sellers' demands for a both reliable and profitable sale”. 

Post War Art 
This section, which comprised an unparalleled array of 120 works by ZERO artists, is led by two results in the millions.

Günther Uecker's “Hommage à Paul Scheerbart (Scheerbartwesen)” (lot 816), was among the day's most sought-after works and made for a new world record price**. The previous record for a work by the artist was set by “Hommage à Fontana” at Ketterer Kunst last year. It was outperformed with ease. Next to the full saleroom and a long list of written bids, art lovers from Southern Germany, the USA, Great Britain, Holland, Israel, Italy, the Benelux and Switzerland were competing for the nail object, which was called up at € 300,000. Eventually an enthusiast from Hesse managed to curb his competitors' eagerness with his bid of € 1,875,000. 

In total another 19 works by Günther Uecker were sold, all of them with excellent increases. Nine results even reached six-digit realms, among them the nail object “Weißes Feld (Weißer Wind)” (lot 869) from 1991, which a Swiss collector made sure for himself at a result of € 525,000* (calling price: € 140,000) after he had broken fierce resistance from art lovers from all over the world, among them a dozen on the phone. 

It took a three-fold of that amount, that is € 1,500,000* to be exact, to make sure an English art trader on the phone could win Lucio Fontana's “Concetto spaziale, Attesa” (lot 829). Private collectors from Italy, the USA and Lebanon had to face defeat. The sought-after work from 1960 realized a new record** and now is the artist's most expensive work ever sold at a German auction. 

Lucio Fontana, Concetto spaziale, Attesa, 1960. Emulsion paint on canvas, partly rebacked with black gauze. Crispolit 60 T 37. Verso signed, titled and inscribed '1+1 = 666' and 'Oggi piove!'. 81 x 65 cm (31.8 x 25.5 in). Estimate: € 800,000 ($ 872,000). Sold: € 1,500,000  ($ 1.635.000). Photo Ketterer Kunst

As expected, most phone bids for Johannes Jan Schoonhoven's “Relief 72-73-M-14” (lot 805) came from the Netherlands. An art lover from the artist's home country eventually let the work soar from a calling price of € 140,000 to a result of € 450,000, relegating not only his fellow countrymen but also the saleroom and bidders from Great Britain to places second and beyond. In the end he also provided a new German record** for a work by the artist. 

Johannes Jan Schoonhoven, Relief 72-73-M-14, 1973. Relief. Pigment and papier mâché on wood. Verso signed, dated and with title and inscription. 124 x 84 cm (48.8 x 33 in). This is an element from a series of 14 parts which was shown at Galerie M in Bochum in 1973. Estimate: € 150,000 ($ 163,500). Sold: € 450,000 ($ 490.500). Photo Ketterer Kunst

Holland will also be the new home of Enrico Castellani's “Superfice bianca” (lot 837) despite strong head wind from Germany, France, London, Israel, Lebanon and Italy, of course. Starting at € 180,000 the relief soared to a result of € 450,000* - realizing a new German record** for a work by the artist, until then the title had been held by “Superficie argento“, sold at Ketterer Kunst in 2007. 

The monumental work “Washington Square II (3-teilig)“ (lot 858) by Günther Förg will remain in Germany. An art enthusiast from Hesse and his bid of € 450,000 did not only relegate the saleroom and phones from Great Britain and Lebanon to places second and beyond, he also made for a new German auction record** for a work by the artist. 

Günther Förg, Washington Square II (3-teilig), 2000. Acrylic on canvas. Together: 290 x 960 cm (114.1 x 377.9 in). [SM/EL]. Estimate: € 150,000 ($ 163,500). Sold: € 450,000 ($ 490.500). Photo Ketterer Kunst

The unbroken demand for quality works of the German Informel is proven by the result of € 306,250 for Emil Schumacher's oil painting ”Alf I“ (lot 813, calling price: € 110.000) from 1962. A Northern German collector outbid the room and another four German competitors on the phones.

Classicist Modernism 
This section is led by two works from Hermann Max Pechstein. While the “Bildnis Charlotte Cuhrt“ (lot 221) will go to a collector from the French speaking part of Switzerland for a result of € 825,000* (starting price: € 400,000) with which he soon made competitors, mainly from Germany, give up; an art lover from Northern Germany honored the oil painting “Im Freien“ (lot 228), made ten years after the aforementioned, with a result of € 612,500 (calling price: € 300,000). This way he won the race against his rivals from Germany and from Switzerland. Five other works by Pechstein were also sold with increases above the average. 

Hermann Max Pechstein, Bildnis Charlotte Cuhrt, 1910. Oil on canvas. Soika 1910/62. Signed and dated lower left. 175 x 85 cm (68.8 x 33.4 in). In original frame. Estimate: € 400,000 ($ 436,000). Sold: € 825,000 ( $ 899.250). Photo Ketterer Kunst

The result for Alexej von Jawlensky's oil painting “Ohne Titel, Fragment (Stillleben mit grünem Reiter)“ (lot 214) also occupies a front rank. It must have been a lucky choice for a Southern German collector, whose written bid, which definitely allowed some more room, won it for a result of € 500,000 (calling price: € 280,000). A collector from Bavaria who was present in the room bought Jawlensky's “Teller mit Äpfeln (Apfelstillleben)“ (lot 215) for a result of € 175,000 (calling price: € 140,000). 

Alexej von Jawlensky, Ohne Titel, Fragment (Stillleben mit grünem Reiter), 1908. Oil on cardboard, laid on board. Jawlensky Bianconi supplement volume 3 CR (2257v). 26.2 x 40 cm (10.3 x 15.7 in). Estimate: € 350,000 ($ 381,500). Sold: € 500,000 ($ 545.000). Photo Ketterer Kunst

Alexej von Jawlensky, Teller mit Äpfeln (Äpfelstillleben), 1932. Oil on cardboard, laid on board. Jawlensky/ Pieroni-Jawlensky 2257. Jawlensky Bianconi supplement volume 3 CR (2257r). Signed and dated lower left. 26.2 x 40 cm (10.3 x 15.7 in). Estimate: € 140,000 ($ 152,600). Sold: € 175,000  ($ 190.750 ). Photo Ketterer Kunst

The sale of works by Karl Hofer was eagerly anticipated, not only by more than a dozen phone bidders. Accordingly, prices soared quickly, both for the work “Porträt von zwei jungen Frauen“ (lot 233) as well as for “Drei Mädchen“ (lot 238). While the latter went to an attendant collector from Hesse for € 275,000 (calling price: € 90,000), the first mentioned was won by a phone bidder from Lower Saxony for a result of € 300,000* (calling price: € 95,000). Competitors from all parts of Germany, Great Britain, Monaco and Switzerland had to look on. 

Karl Hofer, Porträt von zwei jungen Frauen, 1943. Oil on canvas. Wohlert 1674. Monogrammed and dated upper right. 71 x 56 cm (27.9 x 22 in). Estimate: € 100,000 ($ 109,000). Sold: € 300,000 ($ 327.000 ). Photo Ketterer Kunst

Karl Hofer, Drei Mädchen, 1943. Oil on wood. Wohlert 1684. Monogrammed and dated lower right. 76.7 x 50.5 cm (30.1 x 19.8 in). Estimate: € 100,000 ($ 109,000). Sold: € 275,000 ($ 299.750 ). Photo Ketterer Kunst

A price of € 212,500 was realized by both Gabriele Münter's “Blaue Blume (Narzissen mit Zinerarie)“ (lot 210) and Dorothea Maetzel-Johannsen's “Überredung“ (lot 231) from 1919. While the first will remain in Southern Germany the other will go to the north of the country. The expressive work from Maetzel-Johannsen's most important period of creation was fought over by half a dozen phones alone. The bidding race was eventually stopped at a four-fold of the calling price of € 55,000. 

Gabriele Münter, Blaue Blume (Narzissen mit Zinerarie), 1912. Oil on canvas. Signed lower left. Rear of stretcher (by the artist) signed, dated "23. IV. 1912" as well as titled "Blaue Blume" in blue and with title "Narzissen mit Zinerarie mit Lamm" in pencil. Twice inscribed "München" on stretcher. Rear of canvas with estate stamp, as well as inscribed "B.47" in chalk by a hand other than that of the artist. With a label on stretcher with partly hand-written, partly stamped estate number "B 47", label with stamped number "1375" and a label with inscription "219". 49.5 x 56.5 cm (19.4 x 22.2 in). Estimate: € 180,000 ($ 196,200). Sold: € 212,500 ($ 231.625 ). Photo Ketterer Kunst

Dorothea Maetzel-Johannsen, Überredung, 1919. Oil on burlap. Buchholz/von Zitzewitz 20. Hans/Buchholz-Maetzel 20. Monogrammed lower right. 94 x 74 cm (37 x 29.1 x 37 in). Estimate: € 60,000 ($ 65,400). Sold: € 212,500 ($ 231.625 ). Photo Ketterer Kunst

Contemporary Art 
Once more, the range of offerings of Contemporary Art, represented in its own catalog for the fourth time, was well-received. Besides impressive works by Chuck Close (lot 876, calling price 60,000, result: € 75,000), Karin Kneffel (lot 737, calling price: € 32,000, result: € 70,000), Anselm Reyle (lot 751, calling price: € 45,000, result: € 56,250*) and Martin Eder (lot 742, calling price: € 12,000, result: € 45.000*) it is Jonas Burgert with his “Potsdam-Zyklus (Teil 2 )“ (lot 718) who is particularly worthwhile mentioning. A collector from Lower Saxony and her long not exhausted written bid made for a result of € 87,500* and a new German record** for a work by the artist.

Jonas Burgert, Potsdam-Zyklus Teil I, 2006. Oil on canvas. Verso twice signed, datd and titled. 275 x 175 cm (108,2 x 68,8 in). Estimate: € 60,000 ($ 65,400). Sold: € 82,960 ($ 90.426 ). Photo Ketterer Kunst