PRESS INFO

Porcelain figural group auctioned for 850,000 CZK
Prague on the 23rd of May, 2004

The biggest sensation of this year’s second auction organized by the Dorotheum Prague, on the 22nd of May 2004 in Renaissance Hotel, was a Meiseen porcelain figural group by Konrad Hentschl representing a Group of playing children, which raised an enormous interest among the bidders. The lot with a starting price of 40,000 CZK was sold to a bidder whose final bid made via phone was 850,000 CZK. The price has increased by more than 2000 % of the starting price. The total profit of the auction was more than 13 million CZK including the auction surcharge. Auctioned were paintings, graphic sheets, drawings, photographs, sculptures, glass, porcelain, jewellery, oriental antiques, guns and weapons, lamps and chandeliers, clocks, and furniture. 50 % of the 471 auctioned lots have found a new owner.

„As expected, the most expensive auctioned lot was an oil painting by the Russian painter Nicolai Petrovitch Belsky Bogdanov – Breakfast, auctioned from 280,000 CZK and sold for 950,000 CZK. Painting was desired by many potential buyers mostly from abroad. Participants competing over this particular lot were either present in the auction hall, made use of absentee bidding forms, or were bidding via telephone. In the end, the lot was sold to a collector from Lithuania (bidding via phone) who was indeed very pleased by his success, “ said Mária Gálová, the director of Dorotheum Prague.

Other sold expensive lots included the painting by Ludvík Kohl Interior of a Church from the beginning of the 19th century, which was auctioned from a starting price of 260,000 CZK and was sold for 400,000 CZK. This painting is interesting namely as it depicts an interior of a Baroque church which is exceptional in the context of Kohl’s work. Another successfully auctioned work was a painting Autumn Still-life by Josef Lauer sold for 400,000 CZK.
Traditionally interesting were the drawings by Josef Lada. Beautiful Lada’s work Building a Snowman was auctioned for the sum of 380,000 CZK. Unique work Rocky Landscape by Július Mařák was sold for 360,000 CZK. For the same price was sold the painting Summer Landscape with a Brook by Václav Radimský, whose other paintings have also found their new owners (Cottage by a Pond was auctioned for 180,000 CZK, Landscape with a Pond for 100,000 and another painting of the same name for the sum of 80,000 CZK).
Painting Ceylon by Otakar Nejedlý was sold for 140,000 CZK.

Among the lots with a great increase of price were: a book-shaped liquor case (with the increase of nearly 800 % of the starting price and the final price of 80,000 CZK) and an Empire style wooden chandelier, the price of which rose by more then 400 % and reached the sum of 95,000 CZK. Remarkable interest was raised by a unique English Baroque clock signed by Claude Du Chesne, equipped with a complicated engine and a mechanism playing two tunes. The clock was auctioned from 160,000 CZK by bidders who were either directly present in the auction hall, by means of absentee bidding forms and via phone. Finally, it was sold for 320,000 CZK.

There were 112 participants directly in the auction hall, 71 bidders used the absentee bidding forms or telephone. The auction took nearly four hours. Auctioneer’s position was alternately assumed by Mária Gálová and Miroslav Zíka.