MUNICH.- Total proceeds of nearly € 53 million including post auction sales, that's the terrific balance at the end of the business year 2015 at Ketterer Kunst. “Once again, we have beaten all previous records in our history. 2014, the best year so far, was even excelled by around € 7 million, says Robert Ketterer.

“This year we jumped the € 1 million line twice and the € 100,000 line even 90 times, that is 30 times more than in 2014, continues the auctioneer and company owner. The remarkable results show that, next to big international names, especially German art sells well on the domestic market. Alongside Modern Art classics it is Post War Art, in particular ZERO art, that is much sought-after.

Modern Art & Post War/Contemporary Art
These departments alone realized proceeds of around € 46.6 million. Remarkably sharp increases were noted for top lots by artists of Expressionism from the surroundings of the Blaue Reiter and the Brücke , as well as for the ZERO-group as representatives of Post War Art.

In the section of Modern Art the list of desires is led by Erich Heckel and Lyonel Feininger, as well as by eight works from Karl Hofer, ten lots by Emil Nolde, 17 objects by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and more than two dozen works by Gabriele Münter, of which around a dozen realized excellent prices beyond the € 100,000 line. While Georg Schrimpf scored a world record and Alfons Walde occupied the first three ranks in Germany with works sold in the December auction, Ernst Barlach and Renée Sintenis made for great results in the section of sculpting. Other artists worthwhile mentioning are Conrad Felixmüller and Karl Hubbuch, whose work “Lona“ saw a result that was nearly a seven-fold of the calling price.

In the section of Post War Art Günther Uecker and Otto Piene, both achieving world records, once more were the main protagonists alongside Heinz Mack and other ZERO masters, such as Lucio Fontana and Gotthard Graubner, all three of them provided new records on the German auction market. Next to big German names like Josef Albers, Horst Antes, Joseph Beuys, Günther Förg, Rupprecht Geiger, Anselm Kiefer, Gerhard Richter and Emil Schumacher, internationally acclaimed artists such as Agostino Bonalumi, Enrico Castellani, Yves Klein, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Longo, Johannes Jan Schoonhoven, Sean Scully, Shozo Shimamoto and Andy Warhol made great contributions.

Jonas Burgert, Dan Colen, Martin Eder, Karin Kneffel, Jason Martin, Neo Rauch, Anselm Reyle, Dirk Skreber and Huan Zhang are the leading names in the segment of Contemporary Art.

Old Masters and Art of the 19th Century
With a total result of around € 2.2 million this section recorded a very stable result, which in comparison with that of last year shows a slight upward tendency. The big popularity of art from the 15th to the 19th century in Germany and abroad is not only reflected by the overall turnover, but also by the increasing number of first-time buyers. While in spring 30% of the buyers were first timers, this number rose to above 40% in the autumn auction.

Next to three works by Franz von Stuck, all sold and with increases of up to a six-fold of the calling price, more than half a dozen works by Alexander Koester were also particularly in demand in the section of art from the 19th century. They were sold with excellent increases, first and foremost his “Erpel mit Enten und Küken am Seeufer“, which climbed from a starting price of € 16,000 to a result of € 106,250.

Next to the oil painting “Der Maskenball“ by Joseph Heintz the Younger, sold for a result of € 37,500, it was graphic works that provided convincing results in the section of Old Masters. Particularly sheets from Albrecht Dürer, of which more than half a dozen found new owners for results with excellent increases, were in demand.

Rare Books - Manuscripts - Autographs - Decorative Prints
This department provided an outstanding result, making around € 3.4 million, some € 300,000 more than last year. “The good range of offerings did not only appeal to established book lovers, it also attracted many national and international potential buyers who had so far only been active as art buyers. Especially the two evening auctions, characterized by a great variety and a very high quality, were popular with the audience“, says Christoph Calaminus, auctioneer and head of the department of Rare Books.

The range of offerings is led by, among others, Salomon Gesner's acclaimed monography on minerals and fossils (Zurich 1565) and a marvelous copy of Albert Seba's 'Naturalienkabinett' from the 18th century, as well as an early bible manuscript from around 1260 and a suitcase full of Hesse manuscripts from the 1950s. Two rare parchment manuscripts, made in Paris between 1450 and 1500, were presented in an own catalog. The impressive amount and quality of the miniatures must have been the greatest motivation for the large number of bidders.

Ketterer Internet Auctions
The balance fact sheet for 2015 is completed by the online auctions, in which works with prices up to the higher four-digit realms found new owners. All in all around € 700,000 were realized. The popularity scale is led by works from Otto Piene, but also works from, among others, Salvador Dalí, Günther Förg, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Horst Janssen, Arnulf Rainer and Andy Warhol were sought-after.