gallery portrait: Kunsthaus Lempertz, Cologne

Kunsthaus Lempertz, founded in 1845 in Cologne, is one of the leading art auction houses in Europe and the oldest family-owned one in the world. The history of the house began in 1845 with book auctions held by Mathias Lempertz in the Bonn office (based on the saleroom of J.M. Heberle founded in 1802) which was founded by him. Peter Hanstein buys the respected firm in 1875 and gradually moves the auction business to Cologne. In 1918 the building at Neumarkt is purchased. The classicist building is destroyed by bombs in 1943, like most of Cologne’s inner city. After the monetary reform Lempertz succeeds once more in establishing itself as the leading German art and auction house. A visible sign of this is the building at Neumarkt, completed in 1952, listed today in the Register of Historic Buildings. The Roman-Germanic Museum and the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum organize their first exhibitions here between 1953-1957. In 1965 the Gallery Lempertz Contempora is founded, an exhibition forum for contemporary art. In 1984 Lempertz complements its range by buying into the antique book store Venator. The name is changed to Venator & Hanstein.

What`s on in Cologne with pictures or without pictures

Since the beginning of 2000, Kunsthaus Lempertz is the only German auction house to be part of the renowned International Auctioneers group (IA), a group that unites eight independent leading auction houses from eight countries.

Headquarter Neumarkt, Cologne

Upcoming auction: Collection Vogel

In 1965 the first representative office abroad is opened in New York. In the meantime, there are representatives in Tokyo, Shanghai, Zurich, and in São Paulo. In 1985 a branch in Brussels was reopened that organizes the preparation and execution of auctions as well as the previews of auctions taking place in Cologne. In Germany, Lempertz has branches in Berlin and Munich. The Berlin branch regularly holds the design and Berlin auctions in May, has regular previews and independent exhibitions on their own premises. Our representatives and experts at the Cologne headquarters are available for consultation and are happy to assist you regarding consignments without obligation.

Profile
Competent experts with profound knowledge of the art market produce richly illustrated catalogues of museum quality. Our long-standing experience and knowledge of the art market benefits our consignors and customers. Our competence, expertise, and experience acquired in over 150 years of contact with works of art and international markets have led to a multitude of national and international record-breaking prices. Numerous paintings, sculptures, and decorative art objects have been acquired by museums and private collectors throughout the world, and belong to the core of these collections ever since.

Six questions to Prof. Hendrik Hanstein, owner of Kunsthaus Lempertz, Cologne

1st Can an investment in the arts be as worthwhile as an equity investment?

Hanstein: Investing in art is as good as those in shares and also offers the advantage that the yield is tax free.

2nd How safe is an investment in art?

Hanstein: The world's increasing interest in art comes across a market scarcer, especially in the Old Masters. This leads automatically to a long-term value guarantee.

3rd The production of art is currently extremely high, does supply not thereby exceed the demand?

Hanstein: Any image that goes to a museum or a public foundation, shortening the duration of the market supply.

4th Currently, there is a lot of talk about the protection of propert. Can art serve as a crisis protection?

Hanstein: Statements that the investment in art, which has allways to stand next to the interest in art, not in front of, especially in six-and seven-digits-objects, I consider nonsense. All times of crisis have proven that there are correspondingly fewer buyers for very expensive individual works. Rather, I believe that even in the mid five-figure and lower six figures such investments can be very interesting. It is in this area simply has more customers who can afford it.

5th Is contemporary art currently overvalued compared to the old masters?

Hanstein: It seems to me investing in old masters is very interesting, especially in comparison to contemporary art. We can already see that show some very well-known collector of contemporary art here and there for aesthetic and financial reasons show interest in early panel paintings.

6th In the last ten years the interest in contemporary art has exploded - so why put now on Old Masters?

Hanstein: All the older the pictures, the more distance, the more security and the more comparisons we have. You should not forget the still not enough known UNESCO Convention, in place since 2008 in over one hundred countries around the world. It says that the export of art in third countries, such as by the EU to Switzerland or the United States that is older than fifty years and more expensive than hundred and fifty thousand euro, the authorization of the competent ministry of education needs.
That means, the market within the European Union is due to the elimination of internal borders has become much larger and more complicated, but the EU borders for the import and export of art has become higher. This is by the customs authorities in Switzerland or the United States or in other third countries take increasingly serious. Therefor take care of your purchase invoices.

Headquarter Neumarkt, Cologne

Contact Information

Gallery Kunsthaus Lempertz
Neumarkt 3
50667 Köln (DE)

Phone:	+49 221 925729 0
Fax:	+49 221 925729 6
info@lempertz.com
http://www.lempertz....

Opening Time:
Mo-Fr 10-13h + 14-17.30h, Sa 10-13h

Magazine International Auctioneers

List of all Exhibitor Portraits


Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venedig		May, 2011
MUMOK, Vienna, with new face		December, 2010
Villa Grisebach, Berlin		September, 2010
Nusser & Baumgart, Munich		August, 2010
Kunsthaus Lempertz, Cologne		May, 2010
Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris Miami		April, 2010
Kunstverein Braunschweig		April, 2010
Galerie Jahn Baaderstraße		January, 2010
Gallery Emmanuel Walderdorff, Cologne		November, 2009
Ulrike Adler, Frankfurt		October, 2009
Dina4 Projekte, Munich		August, 2009
SAKAMOTOcontemporary, Berlin		July, 2009