The year that was!

As the year draws to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to have a look back at 2014. There is no doubt about it – this has been a year with a long list of spectacular hammer prices, but I would also like to unveil some of the trends we are seeing at the auction house.

Art for millions

Not since 2008 have we achieved 17 million-krone hammer prices in a single year. The breadth of categories is also new to us – from modern art and design to Danish fine art and cultural heritage from China. The highest hammer price of DKK 3 million was for the still life “Le Compotier” from 1942 by the French artist Georges Braque. Hot on its heels came Vilhelm Hammershøi’s self-portrait from 1911, which achieved a price of DKK 2.8 million. Two Buddhas from China and Tibet, respectively, also fetched million-krone hammer prices, as did Flemming Lassen’s upholstered armchair “Den trætte Mand” (the tired man). However, it has been a special joy for me to note that Skaw art, which I personally like very much, still seems to attract such interest, both here in Denmark and on the international circuit. P.S. Krøyer alone accounted for four million-krone hammer prices in 2014, including the depiction of his daughter Vibeke and his brother-in-law Valdemar Triepke at the bonfire on Skagen beach on Midsummer’s Eve, which we recently sold at the Christmas auction at Bredgade for DKK 1.65 million.

New times

It is now 66 years since my father Arne Bruun Rasmussen swung the hammer for the first time in the auction room at Bredgade 33 in Copenhagen, where the international auctions are still held to this day. I do not think that, in his wildest dreams, he could have imagined the development that the then relatively small auction house would undergo. Despite the fact that we are a Danish auction house that wishes to remain firmly rooted in Denmark, we are a major player on the international stage today. The art market is expanding and constantly evolving, and we are seeing increasing interest in our auctions worldwide. Around half of what we sell goes to international buyers. With its strong economy, China continues to have a big part in the story, but we are also experiencing growing interest from countries such as Germany, Norway and the United States. However, like the other major international auction houses, we are finding the opposite to be true of Russia. The economic and political situation in Russia has led to a marked reluctance on the part of its countrymen to purchase Russian art and antiques.

New York, New York

As I mentioned above, the United States is one of the growing markets, with Danish design in particular demand. Immediately prior to our recently concluded international auction of Hans J. Wegner’s furniture on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, Frederik Bruun Rasmussen and our design expert Peter Kjelgaard made the trip across the Atlantic to New York. On the 21st floor of “The Glass House”, which overlooks the Hudson River, they presented a selection of Wegner’s rarest pieces to a large group of American interior designers and connoisseurs of Nordic design. The focal point of the evening was a panel discussion between Peter Kjelgaard and a number of leading American design experts. The aim of the event was to convey the message that we Danes have the greatest expertise when it comes to Danish design, and that the largest and most exclusive selection of Danish furniture classics is still to be found here in Denmark. 

The New Year

I would like to thank all customers and friends of the house for a terrific year, and I hope that you will find your way to the auction house or pay our website a visit in the coming year. The doors to the first international preview in 2015 open on 19 February, when, true to form, we present fine art, antiques, design and jewellery.

Season’s greetings!

Jesper Bruun Rasmussen