 |
|
Rudolf Neumeister conducted his first sale as an auctioneer in 1958. At the time, the young auctioneer resided with his wife in the rooms of the auction house Weinmüller in the Almeda-Palais on Brienner Straße. Twenty years later, the firm moved to Barer Straße 37 where it now stands today as Neumeister Art Auction House in the vicinity of the three branches of the Pinakothek. In no other part of the city does the art scene pulsate as much as in this quarter of Munich bounded by Schwabing and Max-Vorstadt. The Alte and Neue Pinakothek, the Pinakothek der Moderne, the Museum Brandhorst, the Lenbachhaus, countless galleries and the new Academy of Film give this area of Munich its special vitality and creative flair.
In the 1980s, Neumeister extended the auction house at the rear of the existing property. Measuring 1,200 square meters, the new building includes office spaces, an underground garage and exhibition rooms. The site was formerly the location of a house owned by the famous playwright Oskar Maria Graf, and today a plaque dedicated to his memory hangs here. The administration offices are situated in the classical building on Barer Straße 37. The new modern building houses the management, customer reception, valuation offices, auction rooms, viewing rooms as well as a reference library and the offices of the art specialists.
All areas of art and handicraft – from medieval sculptures and classical painting to faience, furniture, carpets and contemporary design – are appraised and valued by experts in the appropriate field. At present, these are divided into 5 separate departments: 16th – 19th Century Art and Antiquities, Miscellany, Modern and Contemporary Art, Design and African and Non-European Art.
Neumeister’s success is linked with great names and it enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide. A list of its successes includes the auctioning of the family estate of Otto Bernheimer family estate as well as the collections of Igo Levi-Luzern (faience), Heinrich Oerten (sculptures), Dr. Georg Schäfer and Rene von Schleinitz, Milwaukee Art Museum (paintings), Hugh and Molly Bareiss (faience, african art, modern and contemporary art), Paul Eipper and Dr. Christian Wolter. Special sales have included the royal dinner service of the late Bavarian King, as well as the collection of the Friends Society of the Haus der Kunst, Munich, which boasted a near 100% successful sales quota. Recently, Neumeister also successfully auctioned a collection of magnificent 14th-19th-century sculptures from a private southern German collector.
As of February 2008, Katrin Stoll has steered the fortunes of the company with the help of a staff of 35. Upon taking over all shares of the business from her two sisters, the publicly appointed and sworn art auctioneer is now the sole owner and general manager of this renowned auction house. She upholds the multi-faceted strategy of Neumeister by exploring new areas of art. Furthermore, by opening the „Galerie NEUMEISTER“ she has placed an accent on contemporary art and design. Located on the Gabelsbergerstraße 17, the gallery is nestled in the midst of the neighbouring established galleries of the Pinakothek and offers a space to appreciate art in a relaxed atmosphere.
|
