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February 2004

Blow by Blow

An account of Munich's auction houses

The advent of retail shopping by mouse-click and the introduction of fully-automated customer service is just one of the features of modern life that is slowly eroding the chances for human interaction. And thanks to eBay and other online auction services, the live art/antique auction is yet another venue of intra-species interaction that’s been added to the endangered list. Despite having high-visibility rarities, the traditional auction houses have not been having an easy time. Lower commissions and tax-free billing make buying by broadband attractive for many. Still, while online bidding may be great when it comes to buying inexpensive objects, or those of indisputable quality, the serious art or antique collector would still be rather wary of paying thousands for something they are not able to scrutinize in person. Thus the “brick-and-mortar” auction houses offer the advantage of pre-auction viewing and the chance to appraise pieces and decide on a bidding limit. In Munich there are a number of high-quality auction houses that offer the old-fashioned satisfaction of having a hammer blow punctuate every purchase.

The 25-year-old Hampel house (Schellingstrasse 44, www.hampel-auctions.com) has an impressive four floors of viewing space and an elegant red auction hall. MUNICH FOUND attended Hampel’s autumn arts and antiques auction, with items including the contents of a Swiss castle museum, several art collections and four villas. In recent years attendance at a typical live auction has dwindled from several hundred to only a few dozen bidders. Hampel is no exception. As at most auctions, items are generally called out at 50 percent of the price listed in the catalogue, unless higher bids in writing have been received. Quite often items are sold for more than the prices listed in the catalogue—a not-uncommon occurrence in many houses today, so don’t get too excited if you see a great bargain listed in a catalogue. Hampel’s next auctions will be held in March, the first on the 19 and 20, and the second, a wine auction, on the 20.

Since its founding in 1954, Ketterer Kunst (www.ketterkunst.com) has firmly established itself as one of the leading auction houses dealing in art and rare books. Originally located in Stuttgart, Wolfgang Ketterer brought his gallery to Munich in 1965. The Munich headquarters in the Prince Alfons Palace at Prinzregentenstrasse 61 boasts annual auctions such as, “Classics of the XXth Century and The Munich School.” This year two further auctions are taking place on the same day as the one mentioned above: “Sidelines of the German Avant-garde” and “Bauhaus.” Heavy hitters, such as works by Auguste Renoir and Otto Mueller, are not uncommon at Ketterer. Its auctions are usually held at the HypoVereinsbank on Arabellastrasse. The house also hosts special events, such as lectures, charity auctions and exhibitions highlighting popular artists. The next auction will celebrate its 50th anniversary and is scheduled to take place on May 14.

Karl & Faber (www.karlundfaber.de), established in 1923, is located in the Luitpoldblock at Amiraplatz 3. This house’s main areas of specialization are Old Masters and 19th- and 20th- century works on canvas and paper. It boasts countless high-profile names ranging from Albrecht Dürer to major German Expressionists and Andy Warhol. Every year it holds two major auctions, in spring and autumn. It also hosts exhibitions of early modern and contemporary art.

The history of the Hermann Historica house (www.hermann-historica.com) began 40 years ago, with the auctions of Count Erich Klenau of Klenova. Since then, Hermann Historica has liquidated many museums and private collections. It annually conducts at least two auction sales of antique arms and armor, firearms and hunting objects, German orders and other historical memorabilia. The next Hermann Historica auction will take place in early May.

At Barer Strasse 37, near the Pinakothek museums, the art auction house Neumeister (www.neumeister.com) hosts several auctions every year. Themes include antiques, modern art and “miscellaneous.” Upcoming auctions include one this month, on February 4, one on 17 and 18 March and another on April 21.

Though a relative newcomer to the Munich auction scene, the auction house von Zezschwitz (Friedrichstrasse 1A, www.von-zezschwitz.de) offers an impressive line-up of pretty 20th-century works and objects. The firm was founded in September 2001 and specializes in 19th- and 20th-century decorative arts. Every year von Zezschwitz holds two of each of the following auctions: “Art Nouveau – Art Deco,” “Modern Design” and “19th- and 20th- Century Fine Arts and Illustrated Books.”

To find the names and contact information for several other respected auction houses in Munich, look in the yellow pages under “Versteigerungen.” Most of the houses mentioned there also offer appraisals and will visit collectors interested in selling items at auction. Most of the websites listed here offer online catalogues, but if you’re serious about buying, you may want to invest € 15–20 in a printed catalogue. And keep in mind that some of the larger houses ask you to reserve a seat and a bidder’s card by the day before the auction.

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