Taking place at Auktionshaus im Kinsky, the sale will begin on 3 December with the impressive Art Nouveau & Design catalogue consisting of 265 items. More than 20 objects originate from the Wiener Werkstätte, a group formed of architects, artists and designers in 1903 with the goal of renewing the art of design.
In addition to a six-piece desk set, a cigarette case from dating from 1910 stands out as an exemplary piece. The beautiful case was made of ebonised pear wood and inlaid on all sides with shimmering freshwater pearl.
An Art Deco item from 1925 by Bruno Zachs will be also presented. Girl with a Cigarette is, like many of Zachs’ works, made of bronze and placed on a marble pedestal. The figure depicts a young smoking woman whose self-confidence shines through, partly because she is wearing pants, something that was still new and daring at the time.
Kinsky’s catalogue for Classical Modern Art brings together works from several decades. Among the objects is the oil painting Viennese Prater with Ferris Wheel Around 1914, which Oskar Laske painted in 1951. Laske repeatedly painted the Viennese amusement park, and that these works ultimately represent a separate group in his oeuvre.
Artist Werner Berg was fascinated by the snow-covered landscape near his home in Carinthia, Austria. His 1969 composition Fresh Snow faithfully depicts the calm atmosphere where Berg lived until his death in 1981.
It is impossible to talk about mountain scenery without mentioning the master Alfons Walde, who in 1930 painted Kitzbühel in Winter. The view of his snow-covered hometown in winter is enhanced by the strong contrasts between sky and mountains.
In the same vein comes View of the Rax from the Villa Mautner von Markhof by Koloman Moser, which he painted in 1913 from the balcony of his mother-in-law's house in Semmering, Austria. This view fascinated Moser, and he painted it repeatedly in different light and weather conditions.
Another highlight is the oil sketch Farmhouse by Egon Schiele, who at only eighteen was the youngest student at the Vienna Art Academy. At that time, Schiele was mainly concerned with landscapes and ignored Impressionist trends in favour of stylistic freedoms.
On 4 December, 287 contemporary lots will be presented. One of the most anticipated items is Chino mirándose en espejo redondo by the Spanish artist Juan Muñoz. He is known for his enigmatic human figures, and through sculpture questions, and perhaps even criticises, the increasingly alienated narcissistic society in which we live.
The Lichtscheibe sculpture is a clear example of Günther Ueck's most innovative period of creation. The 1967 Lens consists of hundreds of nails that rotate via a motor located on the back, resulting in an interesting play of light and shadow.
Artist Erwin Wurm is known for criticising society by using humour. The plaster Fat Car from 2005 represents a series in which he collects symbols of the upper class and puffs up the objects, distorting them beyond reality.
Friedensreich Hundertwasser's painting Sundrops is "a tribute to the sun, rain and water". Hundertwasser's vision of a more sustainable world is depicted in his art and the central motif in the painting presented at Kinsky is the spiral, which he utilised to represent the cycle of life.
An important theme in the oeuvre of the Austrian post-war avant-gardist Max Weiler is the ever-changing nature, presently implemented in the large-format Summer Sign from 1989 in egg tempera on canvas. The eruptive application of paint makes the work a dynamic and colourful highlight on offer.
The auctions will take place on 3 and 4 December at Auktionshaus im Kinsky, Freyung 4, in Vienna. The exhibition is available for viewing from 26 November.
Discover all Kinsky lots on Barnebys
This article is sponsored by Auktionshaus im Kinsky