Lempertz, a German auction house, recorded a turnover of €46.4 million in 2025, driven by rediscovered Old Masters masterpieces and important private collections. The top lot was Jan Davidsz. de Heem's 'Still Life with Flowers and Fruits on a Stone Ledge,' which sold for €3.16 million. Under managing director Isabel Apiarius-Hanstein (born 1988), the company continues to focus on medium-high bracket European collectors, specializing in Old Masters, photography, decorative arts, and German modern art, while avoiding the guarantees and private sale strategies favored by larger houses like Sotheby's and Christie's.
This article matters because it highlights a growing polarization in the global auction market between mega-houses pursuing luxury and global wealth centers, and specialized regional houses like Lempertz that rely on expertise, prudent estimates, and long-term relationships. The piece underscores the importance of training a new generation of collectors and maintaining a focus on historical-artistic quality over record-breaking sales, offering a counter-narrative to the dominance of multi-million dollar works and financial instruments in the art market.