Auction Results: Photographie, May 29, 2013 @Villa Grisebach

The results of the recent Photography sale at Villa Grisebach in Berlin were generally solid. While the overall Buy-In rate was a bit high (just over 30%), there were enough positive surprises to bring the Total Sale Proceeds in at the midpoint of the estimate range.

The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

Total Lots: 161
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: €474200
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: €654400
Total Lots Sold: 111
Total Lots Bought In: 50
Buy In %: 31.06%
Total Sale Proceeds: €553636

Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):

Low Total Lots: 141
Low Sold: 96
Low Bought In: 45
Buy In %: 31.91%
Total Low Estimate: €416400
Total Low Sold: €353556

Mid Total Lots: 20
Mid Sold: 15
Mid Bought In: 5
Buy In %: 25.00%
Total Mid Estimate: €238000
Total Mid Sold: €200080

High Total Lots: 0
High Sold: NA
High Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total High Estimate: €0
Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate was lot 2086, Martin Munkacsi, Brasilien erstickt im Kaffee, 1932, estimated at €15000-20000; it sold for €24400. The Munkacsi print shared the top outcome honors with lot 2046, Hugo Erfurth, Otto Dix in Profil, 1920, estimated at €8000-10000, and also sold for €24400. (image at right, top, via Villa Grisebach)

96.40% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate. There were a total of 19 surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 2003, Ansel Adams, Oaktree, Snowstorm, Yosemite National Park, California, 1948/later, estimated at €700-900, sold at €1952
Lot 2012, Aenne Biermann, Ohne Titel (Montage), 1931, estimated at €2000-3000, sold at €9150 (image at right, bottom, via Villa Grisebach)
Lot 2013, Aenne Biermann, Feuerwerk, 1928, estimated at €1000-1500, sold at €4270
Lot 2014, Aenne Beirmann, Paprika rund, 1928, estimated at €1000-1500, sold at €7930
Lot 2019, Aenne Biermann, Mein Kind, 1931, estimated at 2€000-3000, sold at €6100
Lot 2046, Hugo Erfurth, Otto Dix in Profil, 1920, estimated at €8000-10000, sold at €24400
Lot 2053, Arno Fischer, Marlene Dietrich, Moskau, 1964/later, estimated at €1000-1500, sold at €4636
Lot 2081, Herbert Matter, Alberto Giacometti, Paris, 1965/later, estimated at €800-1000, sold at €3416
Lot 2087, Paco, Ohne Titel, 1935, estimated at €500-700, sold at €1952
Lot 2089, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Butte auf der Strasse, Weinlese an der Mosel, 1927, estimated at €2000-3000, sold at €6100
Lot 2096, Max Scheler, A hard day's night, London, 1964/later, estimated at €900-1100, sold at €2440
Lot 2098, Jeanloup Sieff, Nude climbing a dune, Le Pyla,1970/1975, estimated at €1500-2000, sold at €4636
Lot 2100, Michel Sima, Alberto Giacometti in seinem Studio rue Hippolyte-Maindron, 1946/later, estimated at €2000-3000, sold at €7930
Lot 2116, Anton Corbijn, Miles Davis, 1985/1990, estimated at €5000-7000, sold at €20740 (image at right, middle, via Villa Grisebach)
Lot 2117, Thomas Florschuetz, Ricochet-II, 2tellig, 1997/1999, estimated at €4000-6000, sold at €13664
Lot 2122, Jitka Hanzlova, Alexandra, Coney Island, 2000/2003, estimated at €700-900, sold at €2074
Lot 2134, Robert Mapplethorpe, Tulips, 1983, estimated at €7000-9000, sold at €20740
Lot 2140, Judith Joy Ross, Untitled from Eurana Park, Weatherly, PA, 1982, estimated at €1200-1800, sold at €4880
Lot 2150, Thomas Struth, Pergamon V, Berlin, 2001, estimated at €800-1200, sold at €2440

Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

Villa Grisebach Auktionen
Fasanenstraße 25
D-10719 Berlin

Auction: Photographie, May 29, 2013 @Villa Grisebach

Villa Grisebach has its Spring various owner photographs sale in Berlin next week, with a diverse selection of lower priced vintage and contemporary material on offer, led by a dozen prints by Aenne Biermann. Overall, there are a total of 161 lots available, with a Total High Estimate of €654400.

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including €7500): 141
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): €416400

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between €7500 and €35000): 20
Total Mid Estimate: €238000

Total High Lots (high estimate above €35000): 0
Total High Estimate: NA

The top lot by High estimate is lot 2086, Martin Munkacsi, Brasilien erstickt im Kaffee, 1932, estimated at €15000-20000 (image at right, top, via Villa Grisebach).

Here is the complete list of photographers with three or more lots in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

Aenne Biermann (12)
Peter Lindbergh (6 )
Albert Renger-Patzsch (6)
Thomas Struth (5)
Berenice Abbott (3)
Ilse Bing (3)
Andreas Feininger (3)
Jacques-Henri Lartigue (3)
Saul Leiter (3)
Herbert Matter (3)
Tom Wood (3)

Other lots of interest include lot 2030, Erwin Blumenfeld, Solarized nude, 1943, estimated at €10000-12000 (image at right, middle, via Villa Grisebach) and lot 2143, Ulrike Rosenbach, Art is a criminal action II, 1969/2008, estimated at €10000-15000 (image at right, bottom, via Villa Grisebach).

The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.

Photographie
May 269th

Villa Grisebach Auktionen
Fasanenstraße 25
D-10719 Berlin

Auction Results: Photographie, May 26, 2011 @Villa Grisebach

The results of the recent Photography sale at Villa Grisebach in Berlin were generally quite positive. With a the Buy-In rate just over 20% , a solid number of upside surprises, and Total Sale Proceeds that came in near the top of the estimate range, the sale performed well by most measures.

The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

Total Lots: 190
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: 492200€
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: 673500€
Total Lots Sold: 151
Total Lots Bought In: 39
Buy In %: 20.53%
Total Sale Proceeds: 643489€

Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):

Low Total Lots: 176
Low Sold: 139
Low Bought In: 37
Buy In %: 21.02%
Total Low Estimate: 442500€
Total Low Sold: 379969€

Mid Total Lots: 14
Mid Sold: 12
Mid Bought In: 2
Buy In %: 14.29%
Total Mid Estimate: 231000€
Total Mid Sold: 263520€

High Total Lots: 0
High Sold: NA
High Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total High Estimate: 0€
Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate was lot 1409, Oskar Schlemmer/Kurt Bryner, Zwei Alben mit Photographien der familie Schlemmer und Freunden, 1937-1940, at 25000-30000€; it sold for 29280€. The top outcome of the sale was lot 1434, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Forderturme, Schuylkill County, PA, USA, 9-teilige Photoarbeit, 1974-1978, at 70760€ (image at right, top, via Villa Grisebach)

95.36% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate. There were a total of 12 surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 1310, Ilse Bing, Self Portrait, 1931/1996, at 7320€
Lot 1316, Bill Brandt, Nude, Baie des Anges, France, 1958/Later, at 3416€
Lot 1325, Robert Doisneau, Le manege de Monsieur Barre, Place de la Mairie, Paris, 1925/Later, 10370€
Lot 1428, Paul Wolff, Ohne Titel (Frankfurt am Main: Hute im Waldstadion), 1929 at 3172€
Lot 1429, Paul Wolff, Ohne Titel (Start zum Segelfliegen), 1933-1945, at 3660€
Lot 1430, Paul Wolff, Ohne Titel (Frankfurt am Main, Blick auf den Burgersteig von oben), 1933-1945, at 3904€ (image at right, bottom, via Villa Grisebach)
Lot 1432, Yva, Vornehmer hut aus blauer Seide mit doppelter, weisser Krempe und schwal aus gleichem Material. Modell: Gurau-Friedrich, 1932, at 3172€
Lot 1433, Yva, Den Schuh schmuckt die schnalle, den Fuss der...Strumpf, 1934-1938, at 3294€
Lot 1434, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Forderturme, Schuylkill County, PA, USA, 9-teilige Photoarbeit, 1974-1978, at 70760€ (image at right, top, via Villa Grisebach)
Lot 1462, Ken Probst, Tattooed Twins, San Diego, 1989/2001, at 4880€
Lot 1468, Thomas Ruff, Interieur 1D (Tegernsee) aus der Serie "Interieurs", 1982, at 3050€ (image at right, middle, via Villa Grisebach)
Lot 1476, Michael Schmidt, o.T., 1998, at 1708€

Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

Villa Grisebach Auktionen
Fasanenstraße 25
D-10719 Berlin

Auction: Photographie, May 26, 2011 @Villa Grisebach

Villa Grisebach has its various owner photographs sale in Berlin later this week, with a typical selection of European material (both vintage and contemporary) on offer. Overall, there are a total of 190 lots available in this sale, with a Total High Estimate of 673500€.

Here's the statistical breakdown:
.
Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including 7500€): 176
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): 442500€

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between 7500€ and 35000€): 14
Total Mid Estimate: 231000€

Total High Lots (high estimate above 35000€): 0
Total High Estimate: NA

The top lot by High estimate is lot 1409, Oskar Schlemmer/Kurt Bryner, Zwei Alben mit Photographien der familie Schlemmer und Freunden, 1937-1940, at 25000-30000€.

Here is the list of the photographers who are represented by three or more lots in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

Helmar Lerski (8)
Thomas Ruff (4)
Thomas Struth (4)
Herbert Tobias (4)
Aenne Biermann (3)
Ilse Bing (3)
Robert Doisneau (3)
Gisele Freund (3)
Hosrt P. Horst (3)
Germaine Krull (3)
Arnold Newman (3)
Martin Parr (3)
Leni Riefenstahl (3)
Michael Ruetz (3)
Stephen Shore (3)
Hiroshi Sugimoto (3)
Paul Wolff (3)

(Lot 1364, Germaine Krull, Tour d'Eiffel, Paris, 1928, at 3000-4000€, image at right, top, lot 1398 Albert Renger-Patzsch, Zechenturme, Turmforderung (Zeche Grimberg, Bergkamen), 1950, at 2000-3000€, image at right, bottom, and Lot 1439, Thomas Demand, Wurstplatte, 1995, at 3000-4000€, at right, middle; all via Villa Grisebach.)

The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.

Photographie
May 26th
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Villa Grisebach Auktionen
Fasanenstraße 25
D-10719 Berlin

Auction Results: Photographie, November 25, 2010 @Villa Grisebach

The results of the recent Photography sale at Villa Grisebach in Berlin solidly met expectations; the Buy-In rate came in under 30% and the Total Sale Proceeds fell right in the heart of the estimate range. In general, the Walter Gropius prints performed well, and a smattering of other positive surprises helped keep the sale on track.

The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

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Total Lots: 196

Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: 451700€

Pre Sale High Total Estimate: 634100€

Total Lots Sold: 141

Total Lots Bought In: 55

Buy In %: 28.06%

Total Sale Proceeds: 524722€

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Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):

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Low Total Lots: 182

Low Sold: 129

Low Bought In: 53

Buy In %: 29.12%

Total Low Estimate: 442100€

Total Low Sold: 347700€

.

Mid Total Lots: 14

Mid Sold: 12

Mid Bought In: 2

Buy In %: 14.29%

Total Mid Estimate: 192000€

Total Mid Sold: 177022€

.

High Total Lots: 0

High Sold: NA

High Bought In: NA

Buy In %: NA

Total High Estimate: 0€

Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate was lot 1388, Hiroshi Sugimoto, U.A. Rivoli, New York, 1978/Later, at 20000-25000€; it was also the top outcome of the sale at 39040€.

95.04% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate. There were a total of 16 surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

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Lot 1218, Marianne Breslauer, Mannequins, Berlin, 1932, at 7930€ (image at right, top, via Villa Grisebach)

Lot 1247, Walter Gropius, Modell des Bauhausmeister-Einzelhauses, Dessau, 1925-1926, at 2074€

Lot 1248, Walter Gropius, Haus Prof. Auerbach, Jena, Modell-Strassen-seite, 1924, at 4148€ (image at right, middle, via Villa Grisebach)

Lot 1249, Walter Gropius/Lucia Moholy, Kuche im Einzelhaus Gropius mit Schrank von Marcel Breuer, 1925-1926, at 1952€

Lot 1251, Walter Gropius, Theaterumbau Jena, Ansicht Innentur, 1922-1923, at 1342€

Lot 1252, Walter Gropius, Adler-Automobil, Standard 8, Modell Gropius, 1930, at 3660€

Lot 1253, Walter Gropius, Sitzecke mit Beistelltisch von Marcel Breuer, 1925-1926, at 1220€

Lot 1254, Walter Gropius, Fagus-Werke Alfeld/Leine und Werkbunduasstellung, Koln, 1910-1914, at 2440€

Lot 1271, Lotte Jacobi, Spaziergang, Berlin, 1930, at 1220€

Lot 1277, Alberto Diaz Gutierrez Korda, Guerillero heroico, 1960/1985, at 9760€

Lot 1292, Will McBride, Romy, Paris, 1964/2001, at 3172€

Lot 1304, Edward Quigley, Building, New York, 1932, at 5368€

Lot 1310, Rudolf Schwartzkogler, 3. Aktion, Wien, Sommer, 1965/1975, at 7442€

Lot 1325, Walter Vogel, Joseph Beuys, 1965/2010, at 7564€

Lot 1366, Tony Mendoza, Aus der Serie Ernie, 1980-1983/1986, at 1952€

Lot 1377, Michael Schmidt, "o.T." aus der Serie "Frauen", 1999/2000, at 1769€ (image at right, bottom, via Villa Grisebach)

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Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

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Villa Grisebach Auktionen

Fasanenstraße 25

D-10719 Berlin

Auction: Photographie, November 25, 2010 @Villa Grisebach

Villa Grisebach has its various owner photographs sale in Berlin later this week, with its usual mix of European material on offer. A group of architectural studies by Walter Gropius are among the highlights. Overall, there are a total of 196 lots available in this sale, with a Total High Estimate of 634100€.

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including 7500€): 182
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): 442100€

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between 7500€ and 35000€): 14
Total Mid Estimate: 192000€

Total High Lots (high estimate above 35000€): 0
Total High Estimate: NA

The top lot by High estimate is lot 1388, Hiroshi Sugimoto, U.A. Rivoli, New York, 1978/Later, at 20000-25000€.

Here is the list of the photographers who are represented by four or more lots in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

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Walter Gropius (6)

Lotte Jacobi (6)

Robert Capa (4)

Andreas Feininger (4)

Gisele Freund (4)

Stephen Shore (4)

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The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.

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(Lot 1387, Thomas Struth, North Garland Court II, Chicago, 1992/1993, 5000-7000€, at right, top, and Lot 1306, Ringl +Pit, "Comol", 1931, 1000-1500€, at right, bottom; both via Villa Grisebach.)

Photographie
November 25th

Villa Grisebach Auktionen
Fasanenstraße 25
D-10719 Berlin

Auction Results: Photographie, June 3, 2010 @Villa Grisebach

The results of the Photography sale at Villa Grisebach in Berlin last week were solidly average; there were few stand out lots on offer, so there was little chance for an unexpected multiplier to wildly drive up the proceeds. As a result, the buy-in rate came in just under 33% and the Total Sale Proceeds missed the estimate range by a small margin.

The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):
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Total Lots: 182
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: 494500€
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: 666400€
Total Lots Sold: 122
Total Lots Bought In: 60
Buy In %: 32.97%
Total Sale Proceeds: 452797€

Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):

Low Total Lots: 167
Low Sold: 113
Low Bought In: 54
Buy In %: 32.34%
Total Low Estimate: 470400€
Total Low Sold: 343317€

Mid Total Lots: 15
Mid Sold: 9
Mid Bought In: 6
Buy In %: 40.00%
Total Mid Estimate: 196000€
Total Mid Sold: 109480€

High Total Lots: 0
High Sold: NA
High Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total High Estimate: 0€
Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate was lot 1240, Lotte Jacobi, Die Tanzerin Niura Norskaya, 1929, at 22000-22000€; it did not sell. The top outcome of the sale was Thomas Struth, People on Fuxing Dong Lu, Shanghai, 1997, at 22610€.

89.34% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate. There were a total of 11 surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 1213, Rene Burri, Ohne Titel (Alberto Giacometti im Atelier), 1960, at 2737€
Lot 1264, Man Ray, Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp Playing Chess in Man Ray's Studio at 2 Bis, Rue Ferou, Paris, 1960, at 10710€ (image at right, via Grisebach)
Lot 1280, Stefan Moses, Joseph Beuys mit Fettecke, 1965-1968/Later, at 2023€ (image at right, top, via Grisebach)
Lot 1289, Beat Presser, Klaus Kinski, Paris, 1977/Later, at 6902€
Lot 1302, Julius Shulman, Case Study House #22, 1960/Later, at 11900€
Lot 1312, Antanas Sutkus, Marathon in the Universitets Street, Vilnus, 1959/Later, at 2737€
Lot 1313, Ufa, Der Regisseur Fritz Lang, 1920s, at 1666€
Lot 1314, Walter Vogel, Pina Bausch, Photoatelier der Folkwangschule, 1966/2010, at 3927€
Lot 1370, Michael Schmidt, "o.T." aus der Serie "Frauen", 1999, at 2380€
Lot 1375, Miroslav Tichy, Ohne Titel, 1970-1980, at 6545€
Lot 1376, Miroslav Tichy, Ohne Titel, 1970-1980, at 8925€

Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

Villa Grisebach Auktionen
Fasanenstraße 25
D-10719 Berlin

Auction: Photographie, June 3, 2010 @Villa Grisebach

Villa Grisebach has its photographs sale in Berlin next week, and statistically speaking (number of lots, total value on offer etc.), it is almost an exact copy of its sale last November. This time around, Man Ray images, including several multi-picture pages from family albums, are the cornerstone. Overall, there are a total of 182 lots on offer in this sale, with a Total High Estimate of 666400€. (Catalog cover at right, via Villa Grisebach.)

Here's the breakdown:
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Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including 7500€): 167

Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): 470400€

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between 7500€ and 35000€): 15

Total Mid Estimate: 196000€

Total High Lots (high estimate above 35000€): 0

Total High Estimate: NA

The top lot by High estimate is lot 1240, Lotte Jacobi, Die Tanzerin Niura Norskaya, 1929, at 20000-22000€. (image at right, via Villa Grisebach)

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Here is the list of the photographers who are represented by three or more lots in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

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Man Ray (12)

Andreas Feininger (4)

Dieter Appelt (3)

Manuel Alvarez Bravo (3)

Mario Giacomelli (3)

Thomas Ruff (3)

Julius Shulman (3)

Louis Stettner (3)

The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.
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Photographie

June 3rd

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Villa Grisebach Auktionen

Fasanenstraße 25

D-10719 Berlin

Auction Results: Photographie, November 26, 2009 @Villa Grisebach

The German photography season got off to a solid start with the results of Villa Grisebach's various owner photography sale in Berlin generally meeting expectations. While the buy-in rate was perhaps a little higher than expected at over 30%, the Total Sale Proceeds covered the Total Low Estimate with some room to spare.

The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

Total Lots: 188
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: 478300€
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: 662400€
Total Lots Sold: 124
Total Lots Bought In: 64
Buy In %: 34.04%
Total Sale Proceeds: 509530€

Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):

Low Total Lots: 172
Low Sold: 116
Low Bought In: 56
Buy In %: 32.56%
Total Low Estimate: 456400€
Total Low Sold: 331625€

Mid Total Lots: 16
Mid Sold: 8
Mid Bought In: 8
Buy In %: 50.00%
Total Mid Estimate: 206000€
Total Mid Sold: 177905€

High Total Lots: 0
High Sold: NA
High Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total High Estimate: 0€
Total High Sold: NA

The top lot by High estimate was lot 1382, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Sea of Galilee, Golan, 1992, at 24000-26000€; it sold for 29750€. The top outcome of the sale was lot 1283, Curt Rehbein, Glaserner Wolkenkratzer, 1922, at 84490€.

82.26% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range. There were a total of 12 surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 1214, Werner Bokelberg, Uschi Obermaier, 1969/2007, at 2499€
Lot 1262, Nikolai Kossikoff, Ohne Titel, 1930, at 3094€
Lot 1274, Thomas Luttge, Berliner Mauer, Gropius-Bau, Berlin, 1984/2008, at 1547€
Lot 1275, Thomas Luttge, Berliner-Mauer, Brandenberger Tor, Dez. 1989, at 1547€
Lot 1278, Man Ray, Les Larmes, 1930/2008, at 2142€
Lot 1279, Man Ray, Ohne Titel, 1928/2007, at 1666€
Lot 1281, Will McBride, Romy in Paris, 1964/Later, at 3213€
Lot 1283, Curt Rehbein, Glaserner Wolkenkratzer, 1922, at 84490€
Lot 1294, Terry O'Neill, Paul Newman und Lee Marvin, 1972/Later, at 6545€
Lot 1305, Lisl Steiner, Times Square, November 22nd, 1963/1997, at 2499€
Lot 1307, Louis Stettner, Little Girl, Penn Station, 1958/Later, 3213€
Lot 1350, Peter Beard, 1 year old mountain Gorilla, Rwanda before the genocide, 1984/1999, at 36890€

Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

Villa Grisebach Auktionen
Fasanenstraße 25
D-10719 Berlin

Auction: Photographie, November 26, 2009 @Villa Grisebach

Villa Grisebach opens the German photographs season with its sale in Berlin later this week. I'm always interested to see what will be available in this part of the auction season - in general, the German houses do a consistently good job of delivering an unusual mix of quality material at very reasonable prices. Those collectors who are entirely focused on the US and London markets certainly miss out. Overall, there are a total of 188 lots on offer in this sale, with a Total High Estimate of 662400€. (Catalog cover at right, via Villa Grisebach.)

Here's the breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including 7500€): 172
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): 456400€

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between 7500€ and 35000€): 16
Total Mid Estimate: 206000€

Total High Lots (high estimate above 35000€): 0
Total High Estimate: NA

The top lot by High estimate is lot 1382, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Sea of Galilee, Golan, 1992, at 24000-26000€.

In general, this is a well balanced sale, with many photographers represented by more than one lot. That said, here's the list of the photographers who are represented by three or more lots in the sale (with the number of lots in parentheses):

Wolfgang Tillmans (5)
Dieter Appelt (3)
Abe Frajndlich (3)
Edmund Kesting (3)
William Klein (3)
Joel Meyerowitz (3)
Arnold Newman (3)
Dorothy Norman (3)
Antanas Sutkus (3)
Herbert Tobias (3)

Images of interest for our collection include:

Lot 1208 Bernd and Hilla Becher, Forderturm bei Merthyr Tydfill, Sudwales, 1966
Lot 1304 Edward Steichen, The Maypole-Empire State Building, New York, 1932/Later (at right)
Lot 1324 Ludwig Windstosser, Pintsch Bamag, Gas Mitte, 1950s

The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.

Photographie
November 26th

Villa Grisebach Auktionen
Fasanenstraße 25
D-10719 Berlin

Auction Results: Photographie, June 4, 2009 @Grisebach

The results of the recent photography sale at Villa Grisebach in Berlin were at the top end of what has become the standard outcome range for sales this season; in this case, the buy-in rate was in the low thirties and the total proceeds were just a hair under the pre sale total Low estimate, an overall result better than most this spring. The Mies van der Rohe lots were a mixed bag, with a few terrific results (the cover lot in particular) balanced by a few passes and sales below the the Low estimate. I think we can also say now that pretty much any image of French First Lady and former model Carla Bruni will sell over its estimate (lot 1369 as the most recent piece of evidence of this pattern).

The summary statistics are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

Total Lots: 192
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: 399400€
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: 543100€

Total Lots Sold: 129
Total Lots Bought In: 63
Buy In %: 32.81%
Total Sale Proceeds: 387942€

Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):

Low Total Lots: 173
Low Sold: 119
Low Bought In: 54
Buy In %: 31.21%
Total Low Estimate: 326100€
Total Low Sold: 223722€

Mid Total Lots: 19
Mid Sold: 10
Mid Bought In: 9
Buy In %: 47.37%
Total Mid Estimate: 217000€
Total Mid Sold: 164220€

High Total Lots: 0
High Sold: NA
High Bought In: NA
Buy In %: NA
Total High Estimate: 0€
Total High Sold: NA

79.84% of the lots that sold had proceeds in or above the estimate range. There were a total of eleven surprises in this sale (defined as having proceeds of at least double the high estimate):

Lot 1231, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Marilyn Monroe, 1953/1960s, at 24395€
Lot 1253, Nikolai Kossikoff, Ohne Titel (Seehafen Gent), 1930s, at 1785€
Lot 1268, Charlotte March, Gil Latour fur "Twen", 1963, at 952€
Lot 1269, Herbert Matter, Alberto Giacometti, 1960, at 2499€
Lot 1270, Herbert Matter, Skulptur im Altelier von Alberto Giacometti, 1960, at 2737€
Lot 1303, Charlotte Rudolph, Die Tanzerin Gret Palucca, 1924, at 499€
Lot 1340, Curt Rehbein, Mies van der Rohe, Glaserner Wolkenkratzer, 1922, at 47005€
Lot 1341, Curt Rehbein, Mies van der Rohe, Glaserner Wolkenkratzer, 1922, at 4403€
Lot 1342, Curt Rehbein, Mies van der Rohe, Glaserner Wolkenkratzer, 1922, at 5950€
Lot 1369, Pamela Hanson, Carla Bruni in Bed, 1994, at 13090€
Lot 1376, Joel Meyerowitz, Porch Series, Provincetown, 1977/1986, at 5950€

Complete lot by lot results can be found here.

Villa Grisebach
Fasanenstrasse 25
D-10719 Berlin

Auction: Photographie, June 4, 2009 @Grisebach

Villa Grisebach is next up in the German season, with its photography sale in Berlin on June 4. In addition to the normal mix of vintage and contemporary material, there are sections of lots devoted to Bauhaus photography, the work of Albert Renger-Patzsch, and images of the architecture of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. There are a total of 192 lots on offer, with a total High estimate of 543100€. (Catalog cover at right.)

Here's the breakdown:

Total Low lots (high estimate 7500€ or lower): 173
Total Low estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): 326100€

Total Mid lots (high estimate between 7500€ and 35000€): 19
Total Mid estimate: 217000€

Total High lots (high estimate over 35000€): 0
Total High estimate: NA

For our collection, we liked the following:

Lot 1265 Werner Mantz, Kuhlturme, Heerlen, Niederlande, 1937
Lot 1293 Albert Renger-Patzsch, Frauenschuh-Orchidee and Schmuck-Dahlie, 1928

The lot by lot catalog can be found here.

Photographie
May 27

Villa Grisebach
Fasanenstrasse 25
D-10719 Berlin

Auction Results Fall 2008: Christie's South Kensington and Villa Grisebach

There were two more photography sales during the short Thanksgiving week: Christie’s South Kensington (London) and Villa Grisebach (Berlin). The results are below (all results include the buyer’s premium):

Christie’s South Kensington

Total Lots: 168
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: 363400 Pounds
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: 535000 Pounds

Total Lots Sold: 119
Total Lots Bought In: 49
Buy In %: 29.17%
Total Sale Proceeds: 348727 Pounds

Of all the various owner sales this season, this sale was closest to its pre-sale Low estimate in terms of overall proceeds, with a surprisingly low buy-in rate (bested only by the single owner Eggleston and Jammes sales earlier in the fall).

Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):

Low Total Lots: 146
Low Sold: 107
Low Bought In: 39
Buy In %: 26.71%
Total Low Estimate: 393000 Pounds
Total Low Sold: 274227 Pounds

Mid Total Lots: 22
Mid Sold: 12
Mid Bought In: 10
Buy In %: 45.45%
Total Mid Estimate: 142000 Pounds
Total Mid Sold: 74500 Pounds

High Total Lots: 0
High Sold: 0
High Bought In: 0
Buy In %: NA
Total High Estimate: 0
Total High Sold: 0

Given a mixed bag of less than amazing material (from our perspective), this sale performed unexpectedly well.

Villa Grisebach

Total Lots: 241
Pre Sale Low Total Estimate: 583300 Euros
Pre Sale High Total Estimate: 822200 Euros

Total Lots Sold: 140
Total Lots Bought In: 101
Buy In %: 41.91%
Total Sale Proceeds: 453805 Euros

Villa Grisebach is the first of the German auction houses to have its photography sale this season, so we don’t yet have a pattern for what is happening in that micro market. In the context of the wider US and London markets, this sale performed right in line with the prevailing somber mood.

Here is the breakdown (using the Low, Mid, and High definitions from the preview post, here):

Low Total Lots: 223
Low Sold: 131
Low Bought In: 92
Buy In %: 41.26%
Total Low Estimate: 545200 Euros
Total Low Sold: 335995 Euros

Mid Total Lots: 16
Mid Sold: 8
Mid Bought In: 8
Buy In %: 50.00%
Total Mid Estimate: 167000 Euros
Total Mid Sold: 70210 Euros

High Total Lots: 2
High Sold: 1
High Bought In: 1
Buy In %: 50.00%
Total High Estimate: 110000 Euros
Total High Sold: 47600 Euros

While there was weakness across the board, this sale had a few more positive outliers (where the realized price was meaningfully higher than the high estimate) than most of the other sales, and these lots helped raise the totals and back fill for those lots that didn’t sell.

Auction: Photographie, November 27, 2008 @Villa Grisebach, Berlin

If we take as given that photography is now a global and multicultural art form, it follows that the auction market for photography will also fragment into smaller, more local varieties that bring forward work that is altogether different than that offered by the major houses in New York and London. Yann Le Mouel has interesting sales in Paris, with a heavy dose of French photography. Bloomsbury's Rome office recently had a large sale of Italian photography. And we are now headed into the German auction season, led of this fall by Villa Grisebach in Berlin at the end of the month.

We find the German auctions to be excellent sources of unexpected, well priced (less bid up) material, and we have, in the past, bought from all of the leading houses that have dedicated photography sales. If you are a collector and previously unaware of Villa Grisebach (or of Lempertz, Van Ham, and Bassenge to be reviewed in the coming days), you really need to pay some attention. All of these sales have broad ranges of vintage and contemporary work (including American artists), with strength in European work, and not surprisingly, German photography.

This sale at Villa Grisebach has a total of 241 lots available, with a total high estimate of 822200 Euros. 92.5% of the lots fall in the Low range, so there is plenty of quality, affordable work on offer. There is a particularly large group of 14 Albert Renger-Patzsch images (mostly botanicals) up for sale. Here's the overall price breakdown:

Total Low Lots (high estimate below 7500 Euros): 223
Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of Low lots): 545200 Euros

Total Mid Lots (high estimate between 7500 and 35000 Euros): 16
Total Mid Estimate: 167000 Euros

Total High Lots (high estimate above 35000 Euros): 2
Total High Estimate: 110000 Euros

Rather than presenting a laundry list of things we're interested in, we thought we might try highlighting just a few lots and commenting on them a bit further. So here are three lots we find of interest:

• Lot 1591 Werner Mantz, Limburg, 1928 (image at right, top) It seems that every time we go to a photography show, the Kicken Berlin gallery (site here) has a terrific Werner Mantz in their booth that we always admire, but never quite get around to buying. Mantz did some amazing, high contrast industrial landscapes in the 1920s and 1930s, which would fit well with our other industrial pictures. This looks to be a good one as well. The back and forth of the staircase is stunning. The image would also resonate well with some Gohlke grain elevators already in our collection (here).
• Lot 1665 Umbo, Rohre, 1950s (image at right, middle) We don't have an Umbo in our collection at the moment, and we've been looking for one that would fit well for a while now. We like this one, for its terrific graphic qualities and the unusual back lighting.
• Lot 1732 Stephen Shore, Dewdney Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan, 1974 (image at right, bottom) We've seen this image before in a few places and we continue to think it is the Shore we would potentially add first to our collection, whenever it is that we actually have color as part of the mandate. While it is different than many of Shore's more famous images, it would pair well with a Friedlander we already own (here).

The specialists at Villa Grisebach are responsive and easy to deal with, and you can get an email condition report quickly, assuming you're not going to visit the preview in person. We have found their packing and shipping services to be thorough and professional as well. At a minimum, take a spin through the online catalog (linked below) to see what's available.

Photographie
November 27

Villa Grisebach
Fasanenstrasse 25
D-10719 Berlin