The March selection auction of Adolf Loos Apartment nad Gallery was the most successful auction in the history of the Czech Republic. Out of the 52 lots offered, 50 lots were sold for a record sum of CZK 149,000,000 with an average price of CZK 2,980,000 per lot, which is the most objective indicator of the auction house's success.
Only a limited number of auction lots of high quality and investment potential were offered at the auction. All of the works offered in the auction were carefully selected and consulted with individual art experts. The auction took place at the Expo 58 ART exhibition hall in Letenské sady on March 19, 2023.
A new world auction record was achieved by a rare Neoplastic painting, from the hand of a pupil of the world-famous painter Piet Mondrian, entitled Composition No. 3 (1926) by Jean Albert Gorin. The final price of the work reached the fantastic sum of 19,662,500 CZK and received unprecedented applause in the auction room.
The most expensive portrait work by a Czech artist sold at the auction was a unique work from the breakthrough period by Bohumil Kubista. A Likeness of a Reader (Likeness of Prof. Antonin Matejcek) from 1910, when he started his journey towards Cubism, was auctioned for an impressive CZK 18,150,000, making it the most expensive portrait painting ever sold at auction in the Czech Republic.
A work of exceptional quality and artistic significance by Emil Filla entitled Still Life with Falcon and Tray (1930) from the famous collection of Prof. Borovicka was auctioned for the high sum of CZK 18,452,500.
From the peak creative period of Josef Sima, who was one of the important personalities of European modern painting, a high-quality oil Le ciel de pierre (Stone Sky) from 1963 was auctioned for CZK 13,007,500.
A new auction record was set by a beautiful blue-hued painting by Karel Cerny, one of the most talented painters of his generation, with his work Lovers at the Pond (1951), which fetched CZK 7,865,000.
A new auction record in the Czech Republic was also set by a work by Georges (Jiri) Kars, Garden in Mallorca (1910), which was auctioned for CZK 3,690,500.
The March Adolf Loos Apartment and Gallery auction featured other exceptional works worth millions of CZK. Namely, for example, Alfons Mucha and his oil The Girl for CZK 4,416,500. Two Artists by Frantisek Tichy for CZK 3,811,500. Emil Filla's chamber work, Still Life with Cup, Tray and Fruit, rose to CZK 3,751,000. A glass sculpture by the well-known artist duo Libensky - Brychtova, titled Bird, sold for the same amount. An early work by Toyen (Marie Cerminova) also fetched the same price of CZK 3,690,500. Frantisek Kupka and his gouache on paper Abstract Composition (from the series Creation in Fine Art) was auctioned for CZK 3,630,000. The popular artist Josef Lada and his work Winter went for CZK 2,541,000. Jan Zrzavy and his small work Boats in Le Fret for CZK 2,057,000. Flowers (blue, dark) by Vaclav Spala was auctioned for CZK 1,694,000. A plaster cast by Maria Bartuszova achieved an impressive result of CZK 1,633,500. Vlaho Bukovac and his oil The Girl (Portrait of the Painter's Daughter) was auctioned for CZK 1,331,000. An early work by Zdenek Sykora, Still Life with Lemon, sold for CZK 1,113,200. Vladimir Kokolia and his large-format work Evening rose by a full 617% to an incredible CZK 1,040,600.
