Germany

German castle’s works of art hidden away in the war come to light in Munich saleroom

Until the widespread advent of the wireless, barrel organs were a familiar sight (and sound) on the streets of Berlin and other major German cities.

The Austrian sculptor Gustav Gurschner, who was particularly productive at the beginning of the 20th century, designed many functional objects such as door knockers, doorknobs and ashtrays, encapsulating the style of Viennese Jugendstil.

After the death of his father from cholera in 1625, Jan Brueghel the Younger returned to his home town of Antwerp.

Over the years, the extensive general sales at Metz (25% buyer’s premium) in Heidelberg have provided many a surprise, partly explainable by the fact that all lots are offered without reserve.

Passengers on the Cunard liner Queen Mary 2 encounter paintings by the German artist Karin Kneffel (b.1957) whenever they visit the Britannia restaurant: eight of her monumental paintings of fruit adorn the walls. A more accessible way of finding a work by her presents itself at the June 1-3 sale at Grisebach in Berlin. On offer is her diptych (F XXXVIII) from 1997 which consists of two canvases, each measuring 5ft 11in x 5ft 11in (1.8 x 1.8m).

Since 1962, when the German artist Horst Antes (b.1936) first introduced his profile of the male figure to his art, it has become an instantly recognisable aspect, not only of his paintings and lithographs but also of his sculptures.

Since 2005, the German painter Georg Baselitz has been creating a new body of work by revisiting several of his iconic works, primarily from the 1960s, and interpreting them anew. He worked only from photographs, executing not copies, but what he calls a “remix”.

It took the German painter Günter Fruhtrunk many decades before he arrived at the art form for which he is best known.

The starting point for the careers of many of the most successful Post-war German artists was the group ZERO which came into existence in the late 1950s.

Antonacci Lapiccirella Fine Art of Rome has sold a pencil drawing depicting Maria Luisa de Bourbon to The Hamburger Kunsthalle.

The most cherished coin from the reign of Victoria proved popular at a German saleroom

For several years, from 1902-06, the 'Oihonna', an ice-strengthened passenger ship belonging to the Finland Steamship Company, undertook regular cruises to the Norwegian archipelago of Spitzbergen.

Earlier this year the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels restituted a painting from its collection for the first time: Lovis Corinth’s (1858-1925) 'Still Life: Red and Pink Roses in a Vase on a Tablecloth (Flowers)' of 1913.

Among the eye-catchers in the general auction at Metz in Heidelberg on March 25-26 is a small, partly enamelled silver box with a gilt interior.

More than 600 lots at Neumeister’s Munich sale on March 30 have been hidden from public view for 90 years, packed in wooden crates.

Although the French inventor Charles-Xavier Thomas de Colmar introduced the first model of his calculating machine Arithmomètre in 1820, he waited some 30 years before he started producing them in series.

After training at the Art Academy in Königsberg, the German painter Theo von Brockhusen moved to Berlin in 1905.

Christie’s and Sotheby’s have both announced sales from collections of famous fashion designers to be held this year.

Prices for more traditional toys such as dolls and teddy bears may not be at the heights of years gone by, but demand remains strong for the best items and rarities.