London – Für Paul Celan: Kenotaph by Anselm Kiefer will lead Bonhams Post-War & Contemporary Art sale on Thursday 21 March at New Bond Street, London. The work, which has never before been offered at auction, has an estimate of £550,000 – 750,000.
As with many of Kiefer’s works, Für Paul Celan: Kenotaph, takes inspiration from the Jewish Romanian writer Paul Celan (1920-1970), whose work Kiefer draws upon to explore themes of identity, memory, and German history, particularly the horrors of the Holocaust. The work sees a wing of an aeroplane tearing through the top of the middle of three canvases. Born in Germany during the aftermath of the Second World War, Kiefer offers a stark and provocative statement on the aftermath of conflict.
Leonie Grainger, Head of Bonhams Post-War and Contemporary Art department in London, commented: “Für Paul Celan: Kenotaph is a monumental, sculptural panorama, comprising three separate canvases and spanning nearly six metres in width. It is among the most virtuosic works in Anselm Kiefer’s landmark series in celebration of the Romanian Jewish poet, Paul Celan. It’s a signature work by one of Germany’s leading artists, and we expect it will provoke a great deal of interest.”
The work was included in Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac’s exhibition Anselm Kiefer | Die Ungeborenen in 2012.
Anselm Kiefer’s work has been exhibited and collected by major museums across the globe. He was the subject of the 2023 film Anselm by Wim Wenders.
Writing in the current edition of Bonhams Magazine Alastair Smart states: “Kiefer is well known for his landscapes, and Für Paul Celan: Kenotaph is a classic example. Created on a trio of conjoined canvases, it measures six metres across. There are sprinkles of colour – gorgeous hints of blue, pink and yellow – but overall the palette is low-key. It is a field of (real) flowers, which show limited signs of life as they have been dried out and covered by Kiefer in layers of oil, acrylic and shellac.”
Other highlights of the sale include:
- Frank Auerbach (B. 1931), From the Studios II, 1992, oil on board. Estimate: £400,000 – 600,000.
- Banksy (B. 1975), People Who Enjoy Waving Flags Don’t Deserve To Have One, 2003, spray paint on found St. George’s Cross Flag. Estimate: £200,000 – 300,000.
- Frank Stella (B. 1936), La prima spada e l’ultima scopa, 1983, synthetic polymer paint on aluminium honeycomb panels and acrylic panel. Estimate: £180,000 – 280,000.
