Ketterer Kunst

About Ketterer Kunst

Ketterer Kunst is the dominant auction house in Germany for nineteenth to twenty-first century art and one of the most important in the European Union for its market segment. It is headquartered in Munich, with branches in Hamburg, Berlin, and Cologne, and representatives in New York and Tokyo. Over seven decades the house has built a reputation as the go-to destination for German Expressionism, Classical Modernism, post-war abstraction, contemporary art, and rare books.

History

The house traces its origins to 1946, when Roman Norbert Ketterer established the Stuttgarter Kunstkabinett in the aftermath of World War II. Its first auction catalogue, illustrated by hand and featuring prints by Max Slevogt, was published in September 1946 with a print run of just 500 copies. Roman Norbert's brother Wolfgang joined soon after, and together they built the business through the post-war recovery.

In 1954, what would become the modern Ketterer Kunst was established as a gallery in Stuttgart and has remained family-owned ever since. Today's owner, Robert Ketterer, took over management in 1994 and has guided the house into the digital age while keeping its focus on modern and contemporary German and European art.

Market position and specialist strengths

Ketterer Kunst consistently ranks in the global top fifteen for its categories and is the only entrepreneur-run auction house to do so. Within the European Union it holds the number one position for art from the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries. This is built on deep expertise in Expressionism, with artists such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Erich Heckel, Alexej von Jawlensky, and Emil Nolde regular fixtures in its evening sales.

Beyond fine art, Ketterer Kunst Rare Books handles valuable books, manuscripts, and autographs, complementing the art business and attracting institutional and private bibliophiles.

Notable sales

The house's auctions are structured around marquee evening sales, supported by day sales and online auctions. Its December 2023 auction week saw five sales over a weekend generate approximately 39.9 million euros after fees, described as the biggest auction event of the year in Germany. A Wassily Kandinsky painting from 1926 sold for 3,135,000 euros, an Arnulf Rainer oil from the 1950s nearly doubled the artist's world record, and an Otto Piene work sold for more than double its estimate. In June 2024, the evening sale totalled approximately 43.83 million dollars, led by a major work by Alexej von Jawlensky.

Buying and selling

The buyer's premium is tiered: recent sales have featured rates around 25 percent on lower portions of the hammer price, decreasing to 20 percent and then 19 percent at higher levels, though some sales apply different tiers and buyers should check the conditions for each sale.

Sellers can request free appraisals in person at the Munich headquarters or other offices, or by submitting photographs and descriptions online; commissions are negotiated individually. Given the house's dominant position in German art, consigning works by major German and Austrian artists from the nineteenth century onward is particularly advantageous.

Online bidding is well supported, and the house has been an early adopter of digital technology; during the pandemic, the shift to online bidding propelled it to world records in several categories. Pre-sale viewings are held at the Munich headquarters and other locations, and its catalogues, with detailed provenance research and scholarly essays, are widely regarded as authoritative references, backed by a comprehensive online archive of past results.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ketterer Kunst sell?

Fine art from the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries, with particular strength in German Expressionism and Classical Modernism, plus rare books, manuscripts, and autographs through its Rare Books division.

What is Ketterer Kunst's buyer's premium?

A tiered structure generally in the range of 19 to 25 percent, with rates decreasing at higher hammer prices; some sales apply different tiers, so buyers should confirm conditions for each sale.

How do I consign an item to Ketterer Kunst?

Free appraisals are available in person at the Munich headquarters or other offices, or by submitting photographs and descriptions online; seller commissions are negotiated individually.