It was clear early on that auction history could be made at Grisebach's auction on the evening of December 1, 2022. Because with Self-Portrait Yellow-Pink ('Selbstbildnis gelb-rosa'), which Max Beckmann created as a present for his wife Quappi whilst in exile in the Netherlands in 1943, collectors and museums all over the world had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase a top-class piece. No comparable work by the artist had been offered for auction in Germany since 1945.
Related: A Highlight of the Auction Season: Max Beckmann at Grisebach
Most recently, self-portraits by Beckmann were auctioned in 2001 and 2005 for $22.5 million and $16.8 million respectively. Self-Portrait Yellow-Pink has now achieved 23.2 million euros (about $24.4 million, including buyer's premium). This is not only the second-highest price ever set for a self-portrait by the artist, but also a new record in German auction history.
“This work of the century rightly achieved a top price," commented Bernd Schultz, co-founder and senior partner at Grisebach, in a press release. "With this result, Grisebach makes an international mark for the German art trade and once again turns Berlin into a venue with world-class auction results. The delivery and excellent result is a great sign of trust in the expertise and charisma of our company."
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The previous German auction record for a work of art was set in 2021 at the Stuttgart auction house Nagel with the sale of a Chinese bronze of Vajrabhairava for 14.07 million euros. As far as the auction of a painting is concerned, both Max Beckmann and Grisebach have outdone themselves this time, because the title of the most expensive painting in German auction history was already held by Beckmann, with Head in Gray and Blue (Die Ägypterin), which Grisebach sold in May 2018 for 5.5 million euros.
