Sotheby’s – Contemporary Art Auctions – Including the Duerckheim Collection

June 10th, 2011 by

The Contemporary Art Evening Auction on 29 June in London will present a selection of works of major significance, including 34 lots from The Duerckheim Collection, the most important private collection of post-war German Art ever to be offered for public sale. The Duerckheim Collection includes early and formative masterpieces by Georg Baselitz, Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Blinky Palermo and several others, which document their exhilarating advancements of the 1960s. The appearance of paintings of this quality, art historical significance and freshness to market is exceptionally rare and represents a very special auction moment.

The Contemporary Art Day sale held in London on 30 June includes classical pieces from the notable movements of the Post War period, along with paintings and sculptures by the leading names of the contemporary art world. The morning session is highlighted by twenty five works from The Duerckheim Collection, a remarkable grouping of masterpieces from the 1960s and early 1970s by pioneering German artists, including Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke and Georg Baselitz. The ensemble is a resounding testament to the vision and expertise of its collector, Graf Duerckheim, and stands today as an in depth archive of German art from the post war period. The day sale selection comprises important works by Jörg Immendorf, Imi Knoebel, Markus Lüpertz and A.R. Penck among others. Other post war highlights include a beautiful example from Fontana’s famous ‘tagli’ series, Concetto Spaziale, Attese a rare ‘Hero’ work on paper from 1967 by Georg Baselitz, as well as works by the master of Pop, Andy Warhol, minimalist artist Dan Flavin, and a vibrant work on paper by Jean-Michel Basquiat.