Latest News Articles by Jonathan Franks
Roll out the barrel organ
09 May 2022Until the widespread advent of the wireless, barrel organs were a familiar sight (and sound) on the streets of Berlin and other major German cities.
Sculptor on the crest of a wave
09 May 2022The Austrian sculptor Gustav Gurschner, who was particularly productive at the beginning of the 20th century, designed many functional objects such as door knockers, doorknobs and ashtrays, encapsulating the style of Viennese Jugendstil.
Swiss peak proves to be a bargain price 15 years on
09 May 2022During the late summer of 1907, the Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler visited the Engadin region and painted six landscapes of nearby mountains.
Brueghel Junior put in the picture
09 May 2022After the death of his father from cholera in 1625, Jan Brueghel the Younger returned to his home town of Antwerp.
Amber casket strikes ‘Baltic gold’ at auction
09 May 2022Over the years, the extensive general sales at Metz (25% buyer’s premium) in Heidelberg have provided many a surprise, partly explainable by the fact that all lots are offered without reserve.
Kneffel is the realistic choice
25 April 2022Passengers on the Cunard liner Queen Mary 2 encounter paintings by the German artist Karin Kneffel (b.1957) whenever they visit the Britannia restaurant: eight of her monumental paintings of fruit adorn the walls. A more accessible way of finding a work by her presents itself at the June 1-3 sale at Grisebach in Berlin. On offer is her diptych (F XXXVIII) from 1997 which consists of two canvases, each measuring 5ft 11in x 5ft 11in (1.8 x 1.8m).
Distinctive body of work by Antes
25 April 2022Since 1962, when the German artist Horst Antes (b.1936) first introduced his profile of the male figure to his art, it has become an instantly recognisable aspect, not only of his paintings and lithographs but also of his sculptures.
Baselitz: the remix version
25 April 2022Since 2005, the German painter Georg Baselitz has been creating a new body of work by revisiting several of his iconic works, primarily from the 1960s, and interpreting them anew. He worked only from photographs, executing not copies, but what he calls a “remix”.
Bravo to ZERO
25 April 2022The starting point for the careers of many of the most successful Post-war German artists was the group ZERO which came into existence in the late 1950s.
Kubin’s disturbing demonic creations to be offered in Basel
14 March 2022Works by Alfred Kubin will be offered at a Swiss auction this month.
Sale season off to a roaring start in Germany
14 March 2022The most cherished coin from the reign of Victoria proved popular at a German saleroom
Painting inspired by icy adventures sails into Stuttgart auction
14 March 2022For several years, from 1902-06, the 'Oihonna', an ice-strengthened passenger ship belonging to the Finland Steamship Company, undertook regular cruises to the Norwegian archipelago of Spitzbergen.
Wiener Werkstätte design catches the eye at Metz
14 March 2022Among the eye-catchers in the general auction at Metz in Heidelberg on March 25-26 is a small, partly enamelled silver box with a gilt interior.
Commode linked to Parisian ebeniste Nicolas Sageot offered in Swiss sale
14 March 2022Among the contemporaries of André Charles Boulle, who perfected the complex form of marquetry that bears his name, was the Parisian ebeniste Nicolas Sageot.
Collection from German castle hidden in wooden crates for 90 years emerges in Munich
14 March 2022More than 600 lots at Neumeister’s Munich sale on March 30 have been hidden from public view for 90 years, packed in wooden crates.
French inventor Colmar's Arithmomètre sells in German saleroom
14 March 2022Although the French inventor Charles-Xavier Thomas de Colmar introduced the first model of his calculating machine Arithmomètre in 1820, he waited some 30 years before he started producing them in series.
Brockhusen depicts Berlin with a van Gogh influence
14 March 2022After training at the Art Academy in Königsberg, the German painter Theo von Brockhusen moved to Berlin in 1905.
Highlights from central Europe including a British dealer bidding 85-times estimate for a portrait copy
17 January 2022ATG picks out 16 recent stand-out items making waves in German, Austrian and Swiss salerooms
Sale reflects centuries of Sitwells
10 January 2022Fresh generations of the famous family added to hall’s collections to create eclectic mix. Jonathan Franks reports.
Greek shippers deliver further highlights to London
10 January 2022While the Tiepolo drawing caused the biggest stir at the Roseberys (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) November 17 sale (see separate story in this edition), there were several other notable results, writes Jonathan Franks.