The opportunity to add a new work to the oeuvre of a major painter is the dream of many an art historian. This May, two remarkable rediscoveries that enrich the respective bodies of work of their creators will be offered for sale at the Lempertz auction house in Cologne.
The first is Still Life with Flowers and Fruit on a Stone Console by Jan Davidsz. de Heem, one of the most important still-life painters of the Dutch Golden Age. This painting, which has been in the same family for three generations, is notable for its excellent state of preservation. The expert Fred G. Meijer regards it as one of de Heem’s finest still lifes, highlighting its exceptional detail and precise execution.
While the floral still life is a late work by de Heem, the second rediscovery, also being offered at Lempertz, dates from the early period of its creator. This work is likewise a still life, though centred on the theme of transience (vanitas). It is likely one of the earliest examples of Willem Kalf’s engagement with this motif. The painting was discovered during the inventory of a house set for sale by Mariana de Hanstein, head of the Old Masters department at Lempertz.
These two extraordinary rediscoveries are among the highlights of the Old Masters and 19th Century Art auction, which will take place on 17 May in two sessions (11 a.m. and 2 p.m.) at Lempertz in Cologne. Other notable works include those by Alexander Koester, Wilhelm Kuhnert, Hans Hoffmann, Jacob Savery the Elder, and a follower of Hieronymus Bosch.
Lempertz’s May auctions will begin on 15 May at 2 p.m. with the Jewellery & Watches sale, which promises to impress with its quality and variety. Bidders can look forward to a Historicist brooch by K.& K. Hof- und Kammerjuwelier Köchert, a ball necklace with matching ear clips by Hemmerle, and a Belle Époque ring set with a rare Oriental pearl.
Particular highlights include two rings featuring high-carat fancy yellow diamonds: one is a cocktail ring with a light fancy yellow diamond weighing 5.13 ct, and the other is a bicolour band ring set with a central fancy yellow diamond in a round transitional cut (approximately 4.23 ct), flanked by eight white baguette diamonds.
Among the watches on offer, special mention must be made of a vintage Nautilus from Patek Philippe with a petrol-blue dial, and a classic Rolex Day-Date, whose case and bracelet gleam in the brand’s proprietary rose gold alloy, ‘Everose’.
On 16 May, the focus shifts to decorative arts, beginning at 10 a.m. with silverware, Kunstkammer objects, and the second part of the L. Collection, from which pieces were already auctioned last autumn.
A truly spectacular item is a Renaissance ship-shaped goblet, unearthed in 1869 as part of the Regensburg silver hoard. This treasure had been hidden in a chest beneath the stairs of his house by Georg Hoffmann, a patrician of Regensburg, during the Thirty Years' War and was never reclaimed. The silver objects only resurfaced when the building was demolished in the 19th century. The partially gilded goblet, with traces of original polychromy, was crafted by Nuremberg silversmith Tobias Wolff and is now being auctioned at Lempertz for the second time. Its first appearance at auction was in 1886, as part of a major sale of the then-owner’s collection.
The furniture selection also offers intriguing discoveries, such as a cantourgen from Mainz, dating to around 1760–70. This term, from the Mainz dialect, refers to a writing cabinet—cantour meaning ‘office’ or ‘counter’, with the suffix ‘-gen’ indicating a diminutive form, thus a ‘small office’.
Amid all the fine antiques in the catalogue, one modern design classic also deserves attention: Eileen Gray’s coveted side table E.1027, created in 1925 for her villa of the same name on the Côte d’Azur. This particular piece comes from Gray’s personal collection and is a prototype produced around 1970 for Aram Designs.
Ceramics and porcelain from European private collections will also go under the hammer on 16 May at 5 p.m.
The auctions will be held from 15–17 May at Kunsthaus Lempertz, Neumarkt 3, in Cologne. Previews will be available on site from 11 May.
