Lempertz brings a diverse set of generally lower priced work to market in its Photography and Contemporary Art sales later this week in Cologne. The warm tones of a variant image of Nan Goldin’s classic book cover (The Ballad of Sexual Dependency) provide one of the standouts. Overall, there are a total of 190 lots of photography on offer in these sales, with a Total High Estimate of €544000.
Here’s the statistical breakdown:
| Preview Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Low Lots (high estimate up to and including €7500) | 177 |
| Total Low Estimate (sum of high estimates of low lots) | €343000 |
| Total Mid Lots (high estimate between €7500 and €35000) | 12 |
| Total Mid Estimate | €121000 |
| Total High Lots (high estimate above €35000) | 1 |
| Total High Estimate | €80000 |
The top lot by High estimate is lot 547, Andreas Gursky, Niagara Falls, 1989, estimated at €60000-80000.
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 | |
|---|---|
| Thomas Ruff | 5 |
| Hannes Kilian | 4 |
| Garry Winogrand | 4 |
Other lots of interest include lot 19, Piet Zwart, 12 Fotografien, 1929-1932/1974, estimated at €5000-6000 (image above, right, via Lempertz), lot 73, Chargesheimer, Ohne Titel, 1949, estimated at €1500 (image above, middle, via Lempertz), and lot 721, Nan Goldin, Self Portrait in Kimono with Brian, New York City, 1983, estimated at €10000-12000 (image above, left, via Lempertz).
The complete lot by lot catalogs can be found here (Photography) and here (Contemporary Art II).
I think Loring finally has found the right balance between identifying the “mega-photographs” that are featured by the auction houses in their catalogues and online — with largely the same work made by the same score of photographers who are trotted out with rhythmic rotating regularity — and singling out the hidden gems that strike his fancy. I say more of the latter and less of the former.