VIENNA.- 2022 has been another hugely successful year for Dorotheum: the auction house has maintained the momentum of recent years and report a record auction turnover in excess of 200 million Euros.

The continued expansion of the online facilities has proven to be an area of increasing strength for Dorotheum which is the leading auction house in the German-speaking world. The option of Live bidding, bidding via screen, is being increasingly adopted internationally and has come to stay - even in times without lockdowns. The further development of Dorotheum’s digital presence and premium customer service is a key corporate objective for 2023. In reflection of this growth, Dorotheum has strengthened its presence in Germany this year, complementing its branches in Düsseldorf and Munich, by opening a new representative office in Hamburg.

In the auction sector, Dorotheum has celebrated numerous successes in 2022. The major auction week of Modern and Contemporary Art, Jewellery and Wristwatches in November realised the hitherto best total turnover at an auction week.

A new art historical discovery achieved the highest price of the auction year at Dorotheum in May 2022: Titian's “Penitent Magdalene” was sold for 4.8 million euros in the Old Master Paintings sale. In the autumn, a depiction of the Madonna and Child by Giovanni Bellini (and assistant) realised 1.4 million euros. The million-dollar mark was also reached by a work of art on four wheels: A 2005 Porsche Carrera GT (the last analog super sports car to date) sold for over 1 million euros.

Andy Warhol's 1974 portrait of his favourite artist, the Surrealist photographer Man Ray, realised 753,000 euros, thus joining a Concetto spaziale by Lucio Fontana (which also found a new owner for 753,000 euros) at the top of Dorotheum's Contemporary Art auction sales in 2022. Dorotheum surpassed its previous world record for a work by the Italian avant-garde artist, Carla Accardi, with his abstract work entitled "fantastic animal". In the Modern Art sale in November, Alfons Walde's Tyrolean landscape paintings, which have been very much sought-after for decades, achieved several top prices, with his painting "Almen und Gletscher" 1932, fetching 565,500 euros. In addition, the 115,200 euros, achieved in the 19th Century Paintings sale for a seascape by the important Styrian painter Alfred Zoff constitutes a record for a work by this artist.

As always, there was strong demand for wristwatches and jewellery. A 30-carat diamond bracelet by Cartier London from the 1930s was the highest valued piece of jewellery at Dorotheum in 2022 (315,500 euros). 

A selection of memorabilia of Edita Gruberová attracted both her fans and art lovers to the auction on 7 September 2022. More than 150 objects from the estate of the world-famous coloratura soprano were successfully sold at Dorotheum following her death in 2021.

In addition to Dorotheum's sponsorship activities for art institutions, museums and the Vienna Art Week, special attention has been paid to the organisation of 31 charity auctions this year. More than 2 million euros have been donated for social projects and to send aid to Ukraine.