The highlight of Villa Grisebach’s photography sale in Berlin tomorrow is a broad selection of vintage Czech photography drawn from an Austrian private collection, containing both familiar (Sudek, Drtikol, Rössler) and unfamiliar names. It’s a reminder of the strength of the work that was done by lesser known photographers there, even if their names aren’t as obvious here. A more routine selection of lower priced material surrounds this group. Overall, there are a total of 312 lots on offer in this sale, with a Total High Estimate of €1111100.
Here’s the statistical breakdown:
| Preview Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including €7500) | 288 |
| Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of low lots) | €695100 |
| Total Mid Lots (high estimate between €7500 and €35000) | 23 |
| Total Mid Estimate | €371000 |
| Total High Lots (high estimate above €35000) | 1 |
| Total High Estimate | €45000 |
The top lot by High estimate is lot 2132, Irving Penn, 3 New Guinea Men, (2 with Pipes), 1970/1983, estimated at €35000-45000.
Here’s the complete list of photographers with four or more lots in the sale, along with the number of lots on offer:
| Multiple Lots For Sale | |
|---|---|
| Arthur Leipzig | 6 |
| Jaroslav Rössler | 6 |
| Albert Renger-Patzsch | 5 |
| Josef Bartuška | 4 |
| Ladislav Emil Berka | 4 |
| Candida Höfer | 4 |
| Martin Parr | 4 |
| Aleksandr Rodchenko | 4 |
| Thomas Ruff | 4 |
| August Sander | 4 |
Other lots of interest include lot 2031, Anton Bruehl, Gas Tank, 1926, estimated at €2000-3000 (image above, middle, via Villa Grisebach), lot 2207, Jaroslav Kysela, Ohne Titel (Grammophon und Klavier), 1936, estimated at €600-800 (image above, right, via Villa Grisebach), and lot 2230, Roger Ballen, Dresie and Casie, Twins, Western Transvaal, 1993/2000, estimated at €15000-20000 (image above, left, via Villa Grisebach).
The complete lot by lot catalog can be found here.
I can’t believe you didn’t mention that on the first page of the online catalogue is a picture of Alfred Steiglitz by Ansel Adams and Steiglitz is…. smiling.