Die Kunstauktion: internat. Nachrichtenblatt des gesamten Kunstmarktes (4.1930)

„Die Kunstauktion“

f he Figd or collection

the Figdor auction

The first part of

the collection which
people and part of
Among other unique
be mentioned again

and a St. Augustin
Desco with a love

group by far is that which collects according
to the Standards of scienfific knowledge, the
history of art and museum values. A whole
host of experts advises this group, who seek
only to acquire things of very special value
and significance. The other group, of whom
we might eite Dr. Reber as an example, is
fascinated by some particular branch of art
and collects according to some dominent idea;
for instance such things as incorporate the
techtonic element especially. In contrast to
these two groups, the private museums and
the tendency collecfions, we may be allowed
to call the Figdor collection a „Kunstkammer".
I think this is really the most characte-
ristic designation of a life-time’s devotion fo

have offen
material to

spring of
refered to
be offered
Now that
take place
June in Vienna
to cast a com-
i as a

z (Lond0"’

every side what seemed beautiful to him and
what won his love, helped by his extraordinary
sense of discrimination. What he bought in
no wise represented merely objects to exhibit
to others for their admirafion but instead they
became part of his life. So it came about
that the immeasurably rieh treasure of beauty
began to fill all the rooms of his house: pic-
tures rested on chairs, were posed in the
spaces between sculptures, tapistries were
hung on the walls everywhere, works of art
filled the eyes whereever one looked. A pic-
ture which we reproduce of a hall in his palace
at the Volksgarten (see p. 2) gives us a fairly
good impression of the coloured, careless
richness which reigned in Figdor’s rooms.
The whole of his collection indeed is not
coming under fhe hämmer. The austrian state
has claimed a portion as the condition of its
consent to the sale of the rest. In the „Kunst-
auktion", year III, no. 28, we referred at the
time fo this portion of
will remain open to the
their heritage for ever.
items which deserve to
aie: the almost complete furniture from the
casfle of Annaberg in the Tyrol, the marvel-
lous collection of gothic ovens, for instance,
as also the very varied collection of Instru-
ments, cooking utensiles, locks, costumes, and
especially an ancient german doll’s house,
which in its four rooms contains nearly
1000 various furnishings from furniture to
cooking things. Among fhe actual works of
art are also a number of the newer viennese
painters’ works, such as those of Waldmüller,
Alt, etc. and a whole row of Fuger miniatures.
This short reference fo viennensiana al-
ready shows the richness, variety and many-
sided love of things possessed by this col-
lection. When we furn to the items which are
to come up for auciion this year and the next
ones, we leave a microcosmos of unbelievable
interest for the history of art and culture, for
a real macrocosmos.
To go back to those things which are fo
be offered at auction we will first look quickly
at such as are to be offered at the later sales.
Among the paintings the largest portion be-
longs to the 15th and 16th cenfuries. They are
of dutch, italien, french and german schools.
It is obvious that here it is fhe gothic element
which attracted Figdor most, although he did
not lay the Principal value on individual im-
pressive masterpieces as a rule: there are
any number of anonymous masters repre-
sented. All fhe same there are many important
works: The Bridal Box, for instance (about
1430), which is sometimes attributed to
Domenico di Bartolo, sometimes to Pisanello
and again to Giovanni di Paolo. Then there are
a Madonna with the Child
by Giovanni di Paolo, a

: ^hld hardly be fair were one to iudge
P°r collection entirely from fhe single
,)c they ever so wonderfull from the
t|j and monetary point of view. This
0,1 rather represents the last Word in

: iF ‘he sale of the Figdor collection,
ti ne auspices of P. Cassirer, has been
last
the
at
the
al-

KjX Nr. 25 vom 8. Juni 1950

A. van Dyck . Anbetung der Hirten
Lwd., 40 : 58 cm — Smlg. Otto Held-Berlin — Expertise von W. v. Bode
Auktionshaus des Westens (Gebr. Schulmann & Co.), Berlin
A. van Dyck, Adoration des bergers
Toile, 40: 58 cent. — Coll. Otto Held-Berlin — Expertisee par W. v. Bode
Auktionshaus des Westens (Gebr. Schulmann & Co.), Berlin
A. van Dyck, Adoration of the shepherds
Canvas, 40 by 58 cent. — From the coli, of Otto Held, Berlin — Expertised by W. v. Bode
Auktionshaus des Westens (Gebr. Schulmann & Co.), Berlin

■ 19^
Juni>
3SS<;:

A r/ C
‘hat is since the
tlt?e
Ss 111U1C11O1
Ofr'es of auctions.
the series is to
11°n the llth — 13th of
:tle seems ripe for us io casi a
lve glance at the collection

are the two famous Echternacher tablets.
Among the bronze works there are the fwo
aquamaniles in the form of mounted figures
from the 12th and fhe 14th cenfuries. Of a
later period there are the terracotta bust of
St. Sebastian, Tartarus figures, plaques, etc.
from the master hand of Riccio; fhe angel
figures and the Madonna by Benedetto da
Majano and the portrait bost of a young girl
by Desiderio da Settignano.
German plastic is well represented by the
“Lorcher Way of fhe Cross”, which is regarded
as one of the Principal masterpieces of ger-
man gothic art. The tyrolese plastic is shown
at its best by the reliquary in the form of
a bishop’s bust. Daucher, Konrad Meit, etc.
show us how fine the smaller german plastic
art can be.
All fhese works of art which we have
mentioned are only islands fhough in the wide
ocean of decorative art, when we take this
word in its füllest sense. The first auction in
Vienna is especially concerned in fact with
the rieh treasure of furniture, textile and mefal
works of art, as we have already mentioned
at length in our leading arficles in no. 19
and 20 of the „Kunstauktion“. Such objects
as the “Strozzi chair” are unique museum
pieces of international reputation, and the
german and swiss tapistries, which are dealt
with in the work of B. Kurth, are hardly less
important in their way. We have both men-

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tioned and reproduced the Principal objects
for our readers benefif in the various numbers
of the „Kunstauktion“. Even these far-
reaching collecfions are only particular peaks
in the rest of the collection. When we turn
to other groups of the Figdor collection we
find ourselves again face to face with an
astonishing richness of material. Among the
ceramics there are rheinish stoneware jugs,
early italien majolica objects; among the ena-
mels there is a casket reliquary from the
Agram cathedra!, a rheinish "Riftermedaillon”
ob abouf 1450, etc. The jewels and Ornaments
of the Figdor collection alone form an impor-
tant collection in themselves. Alone in this
portion of the collection there are marvellous
pieces, among others a paris broach in gold
of abouf 1400, a pectoral from the belgian
abbet, Matheus von Rethen, an italien meda-
lion of the 16th Century, etc.
The more one explores the riches of the
Figdor collection, the more astonished one is
over the enormous variety and quality of the

FpAUL LARSEN
IOLD MA5TERS
(TO THE TRADE ONLY)
L34 DUKE STREET, ST. JAMES’S
LONDON 5.W. 1
■SHKKS QHBHEHI tagsSSB 3H EZ3C ISBBBnB SBHBBB HBB

motive, Florence about 1420, a Madonna by
Pier Francesco Fiorentino (1470) and from
a later period the portrait of a man by Lorenzo
Lotto. Of northern pictures we will only
mention the well-known Descent from the
Cross by a dufch master of about 1500. The
Prodigal Son by Hieronymus Bosch and the
portrait of Maximilian I by Bernard Strigels.
When we come to the plastic objects we
meet with works of the greatest significance.
Among the ivory pieces, for instance, there

individual pieces. It seems almost unbelievr
able that in our era, which both from the
point of view of art and from science goes
in for specialisation, one man should be so
favoured that he should be able to succeed in
gathering round him such an unheard of trea-
sure of art and beauty and be capable of
grouping this to its best advantage. This
series of auctions certainly represents a sen-
sational event, which we are awaiting with
the greatest exitement.

Ein Paar Chippendale - S. es sei
Mahagoni — Smlg. Colonel Liddell — Kat. Nr. 90
Brachte auf der Versteigerung durch Christie, Manson & Woods, London
am 1. Mai 1930 : 40 700 M.

Une paire de chaises Chippendale
Acajou — Coll. Colonel Liddell — No go du Cai.
Adjugee ä la vente chez Christie, Manson & Woods, Londres
le ler Mai xgjo: 244 200 frs.
A pair of Chippendale chairs
Mahogany — From the coli, of Colonel Liddell — Cat. no. go
Brought £ 1 gg5 at the Christie, Manson & Woods auction, London on the Ist of May igjo

WILL TAKE ORDERS FOR THE

FIGDOR-AUCTION

Information and catalogues obtalned

art represented by the Figdor collection. Both
the stern impression of the Reber collection is
lacking, as also the devotion to world-wide
objects, well-known names and breath-taking
achievements which characterises the first
group named. The Figdor collection grew
much more naturally: without any fanatical
devotion to any special direction and
curiously also without the help of experts. A
great' lover of art gathered around him from

Au
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e NEWSPAPER IN GERMAN OF THE ENTIRE ART AND BOOK MARKET
Edited by Dr. J. I. von Saxe

i Sie die Nummern der
Kunstauktion
^eg-
i'i’d komplett in wenigen Jahren als
des modernen Kunstwesens

L^'ng documentafion of fhe history of
|ph art. Figdor represented a very spe-
of collector; a type which we shall
soon meet with again in our days;
' Miich is perhaps hardly possible any
51 fhe far-flung ränge of his interesfs.
wish to gef a quick idea of his uni-
!«s We must realise the following. The
Vrs of our days are sharply divided
0 quite separate groups. The largest

?<s rt V‘l
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p*'shing house, editors office and readina room:
yQ| ** 11 N W 62, Kurfürstenstraße 76-77
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be69faphic address: Kunstauktion Berlin
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