For Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840), the most important representative of German Romanticism, strolls through nature were an essential part of his artistic process. During his outings, he carried compact, bound sketchbooks, in which he recorded individual impressions to later incorporate into his studio paintings. Friedrich is believed to have possessed 20 sketchbooks throughout his career, yet only six of them remain in their original bound condition to this day, with just one of them being in private ownership.
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On the evening of 30 November, the booklet, named the Karlsruhe Sketchbook, took centre stage as the top lot of Grisebach's 'Selected Works' auction. The estimated price ranged from €1 to €1.5 million – an accurate estimate, as it turned out, given that the hammer dropped at €1.45 million (about £1.24 million). Including fees, the final tally reached €1.819 million (£1.558 million), marking the highest price ever achieved by Grisebach for a work by Caspar David Friedrich.
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The identity of the buyer remains undisclosed. However, export from Germany is currently not feasible. The Berlin cultural administration initiated a review shortly before the auction to determine whether the sketchbook should be safeguarded as a national cultural asset.
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Other top prices were achieved for works by Lyonel Feininger (€2.3 million for Clouds over the Sea I), Emil Nolde (€1.6 million for Poppies and Blue Lupins), René Magritte (€609,600 for La Malédiction) and Renée Sintenis (€508,000 for Large Daphne).
In another auction dedicated to 19th-century art, held on 30 November, Grisebach sold two additional pieces by Caspar David Friedrich. The watercolour titled Old Elbe Bridge near Meissen, dating no earlier than 1816, achieved €254,000, while the pencil drawing Cloud Study in a Mountainous Landscape, created around 1803, fetched €63,500 euros.
