Record Auctions at Dorotheum Vienna

Silver-, Design-, and Modern Art auctions set new all-time records

Superlative sales were the order of the day at Dorotheum auction week taking place 17th - 21st May 2010 in Vienna. The week's high point was the auction of Modern Art which brought in a new record result, while the Silver and Design auctions likewise turned out to be the most successful such events in Dorotheum history.

The international stars at the Modern Art auction on 20th May were particularly sought-after, with bidding for Giorgio Morandi's 1935 „Paesaggio“ rising to 398.300 Euro (Cat. 1120), and for Paula Modersohn-Becker's Seated Girl, with child on her lap  to a sensational 375.300 Euro („Sitzendes Mädchen mit Kind auf dem Schoß“ Cat. No. 1104). Giorgio de Chirico was similarly successful with a View of Venice and a Portrait of Horses (€ 329.300, € 122.300, Cat. No. 1122, 1116).

An excellent auction of Contemporary Art on 19th May saw Günther Uecker's Sand Isle – originally exhibited at the 1970 Biennale di Venezia – sold for 260.300 Euro („Sandinsel“ Cat. No. 455) and Anselm Kiefer's lyrical „Les Femmes de l’antiquité" knocked down for 191.300 Euro, far above the estimate (Cat. No. 484).

Pride of place at the Design auction on 18th May went to a writing desk by Diego Giacometti dating to around 1970 (Cat. No. 24) which was sold for 205.560 Euro. The VorteXX Chandelier, designed by Zaha Hadid and Patrick Schuhmacher, was successfully auctioned off at 151.800 Euro (Cat. No. 203).
French design offered some special highlights, in particular Jean Prouvé with his over 2,6 m long „Compas“ work table, sold for 61.300 Euro (Cat. No. 187)

Catherine the Great guaranteed a great result: four two-light candleholders from the Tsarina's service rose to a sensational 208.550 Euro at Dorotheum Silver auction on 17th May (Cat. No. 101). Many other lots were also knocked down far above their estimates.

Proponents of the "Wiener Werkstätte" were given a triumphant reception at the Art Nouveau auction on 20th May: Josef Hoffmann's silver jardinière sold for 55.200 Euro at several times the estimate, and so did Dagobert Peche's lidded box, which reached 36.900 Euro (Cat. No. 841, 837).