The case
The private collection of Martin Kunz is auctioned off by Zurich auction house Germann on 23 November 2024. 130 works will go under the hammer.
Source: Germann Auktionen, Anton Ladner
The commentary
Martin Kunz (1935 – 2020) was an important Swiss art historian, curator and museum director. He left his mark on the museum and art scene in Europe, particularly through his work at the Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt am Main and the Kunstmuseum Luzern. Kunz was a strong advocate of modern and contemporary art and was known for promoting new artists and experimental art forms.
Among the notable pieces there are works by Louise Bourgeois, with whom Martin Kunz was friends, a friendship that led to numerous collaborations. ‘The Maternal Man’ (2008), digital print number 7 of 12, signed on the back, is estimated at CHF 40,000 to 80,000; an ink drawing on paper from 1945 (27 x 21 cm) is on offer for CHF 30,000 to 40,000.
Prices for works by the artist Louise Bourgeois have risen sharply over the last few decades, especially after her death in 2010. Her famous spider series in particular, which embodies emotional themes such as protection and threat, regularly fetches high prices at auction. In 2019, a spider from 1997 was sold at Christie’s for over 32 million US dollars.
In addition to the growing demand from private collectors, institutions and museums are also increasingly interested in her works, which is driving prices up further.
