The rather protracted process of registering and getting approval to bid at Lempertz in Cologne ended in one of those unlucky conclusions. My bid was the same as the winner's in Saturday's auction for this lot, The Ruins at Taormina, a picture by Ferdinand Knab, but because that bidder was in the room, and mine was an absentee bid, his was accepted and my limit would have had to be higher for the bidding to continue. I think the price achieved is the right one, but obviously I am sad that my bid was not successful. As someone noted, "well, at least you're cash richer". It's not something that is providing huge comfort at the moment.
Knab painted this in Italy in about 1870 during his tour of the country. Upon his return to Germany he became court painter to King Ludwig II, (the mad one). I especially liked the light and the perspective, but I wont wax lyrically anymore, lest I burst into tears. It's quite easy to understand why art in German is kunst.
In the same auction there were two other pictures of similar genre:
The Temple of Vesta at Tivoli, by Carl Jungheim
Villa Carlotta by Carl Hummel, 1874
which I liked, but not as much as the Knab. Villa Carlotta holds happy memories of a visit to a friend who lived in a palazzo on Lake Como. We went to the villa after a rather good lunch in Bellagio, so it was an amusing afternoon, with much sacrilegious mirth at the absurdity of a huge and rather silly picture on the first floor.
All images are from Lempertz.com
16 comments:
Too bad you missed this prize. It is easily my favorite of the three you've shown.
One way out of some of these disappointments, which you might already use, is increment bidding, if the house allows it. Thus you can bid "500 plus two" or "1000 plus one" which will take you so many increments over your maximum bid.
I suppose the difference is slight over just placing a larger bid, and of course the opposition may have been willing to go much higher. Still, because of the way bidding increments work, this method sometimes prevents losses by insignificant amounts or tie bids.
--Road to Parnassus
Parnassus - yes, once I'd decided on the Knab the other two paled into insignificance. I take your point about increment bidding, but I'm not sure the web portal I use would allow, and as you say, if the bidder is on site he can easily bid over when it's "live" for him. Anyway, my licked wounds are nearly healed.
Dear Columnist, I'm so sorry for your disappointment. I wasn't familiar with Ferdinand Knab, so did a quick Google search. And I discovered that Knab was a great painter of light and of many scenes of Roman ruins, as you certainly know. He appears to have been bitten by the Piranesi bug, a man after my own heart!
Mark thank you for your commiserations. It was a pity to miss him this time, but especially this picture, as it stands out from others that he painted.
Columnist, I feel your pain. Not that was familiar with
Knab until this post! Having recently embarked on
a canvas depicting an architectural capriccio all three
of your examples were of interest. My local source of
inspiration is a pair of delicious little scenes by
Hubert Robert at a museum of art nearby. Ruins!
Can't get enough of 'em.
Hi Columnist,
Like your other readers, I quite like the Knab. I am waiting for a cappriccio I like to come up at auction here in LA, but they rarely do, so I keep my painting options open. So if I am correct you like classical portraits, old masters and China Trade? Are there any other areas in paintings that you collect?
Toby - classical ruins are enchanting, and I think Knab executed this picture very well. I don't think my bank account would allow for a Hubert Robert, but if it did, his works would fit the bill too. I have in my sights a potential target for my next venture, but I'm not wholly convinced, so I think it will be a longer process finding the right thing, (which is part of the fun).
Diogenes - that covers my interest, but I also have a couple of first half C20th European. If a painting is well-executed, (in my eye), I will be interested. Two genres in which I have no interest are pop art or modernist.
I'm sorry about the Knab. That is a fine painting. I always think the bidder who is present at the auction has an advantage. Fingers crossed next time, Columnist!
Loi
Thanks Loi. The lack of the draw!
Hello 'columnist' thank you very much for your comment upon my blog, I'm glad you found it heartening. I just thought that at least once I might make a difference by saying Thank you to our brave fire-service. It made my day that day certainly, just to see the smiles on their lovely faces!
Alas, your bid for the beautiful painting didn't win. It is indeed a most lovely painting, I love the light and the buildings in the misty distance. Sometimes through life we come upon things that somehow reach out to us and we quite simply never forget them, even if we were only to see them for a second, they become a vision that one can call to mind with our eyes closed, as they have imprinted themselves upon our psyche.
Jane
Dear Jane
How nice of you to visit in return; I saw you from a comment on "Mon avis, mes amis", so I snooped over and was touched by your fireman story.
You're so right, I probably wont forget this picture, but I hope it makes others happy too. A memory of someone else's talent is quite inspiring, I have to say!
The temple of Vesta in Tivoli is also very interesting . I love italian vedutti and I regret some years ago I sold a beautiful Tivoli waterfalls of Gautier . This is so bad you missed the first one , biddings is sometimes a stupid game
Thanks for the commiserations, but happily I am "over" it now, and I was very happy to have success with my Chinese School Hong Kong Island panorama. However, I am always on the lookout for a similar veduta. All in good time I imagine!
You are right your Hong Kong panorama is to die for .
Thanks!
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