Romantic painter - Auction: Book by Caspar David Friedrich sells for 1.8 million
A sketchbook by the Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) was auctioned off at Berlin auction house Grisebach on Thursday for a total of over 1.8 million euros. The value of the "Karlsruhe Sketchbook" had previously been estimated at up to 1.5 million euros.
The auction price was 1.45 million euros, the gross price with buyer's premium for the auction house was reportedly 1.819 million euros. There was initially no information on new owners.
The little book belonged to a family in Karlsruhe for more than 200 years. According to the auction house, it is the last known bound copy of a sketchbook by the artist that is still in private hands. Only six of a total of probably 20 of these little books have survived. Four of them - some incompletely bound - are kept by the National Museum in Oslo, another by the Kupferstichkabinett in Dresden.
Between mid-April and early June 1804, Friedrich, who was born in Greifswald, repeatedly slipped the sketchbook into the pockets of his traveling coat. The drawings were made in Dresden. They include fine pencil drawings of trees, branches and tree trunks. The artist had incorporated several motifs into major works, for example the sketch of an oak tree in his early work "Hünengrab im Schnee".
Shortly before the auction, it became known that the sketchbook was to be protected as a cultural asset. The Berlin cultural administration initiated proceedings to have the "Karlsruhe Sketchbook" entered in the register of nationally valuable cultural assets of the state of Berlin. Export is therefore prohibited for the duration of the proceedings.
At the auction, Lyonel Feiniger's 1923 painting "Clouds over the Sea I" was also sold for 1.9 million euros. The painting had previously been estimated at up to 1.2 million euros.
Communication Cultural Administration Sketchbook Communication Auction house
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- The auctioned sketchbook by Caspar David Friedrich was from a family in Karlsruhe, a city located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
- The auction house Villa Grisebach in Berlin, known for its respect for cultural heritage, conducted the sale of the valuable sketchbook.
- The German government's Cultural Policy is currently considering adding the 'Karlsruhe Sketchbook' to the list of nationally valuable cultural assets, potentially undergoing cultural heritage protection in Berlin.
- The Romantic painter David Friedrich created many of his notable art pieces in Dresden, a city in the Eastern part of Germany, which can be considered a rich cultural tapestry.
- The auction in Berlin showcased other notable pieces as well, such as Lyonel Feiniger's 1923 painting "Clouds over the Sea I", which also attracted significant bids.
- Art enthusiasts and collectors from across Germany and beyond participate in these high-profile auctions, including those in Karlsruhe, Berlin, and Dresden, ensuring the ongoing appreciation and preservation of these cultural treasures.
Source: www.stern.de
