Art specialist Niels Raben and representative in Paris Ditte Herborg Krogh in the company of Pierre Alechinsky's painting "Lucioles" from 1984. Estimate: DKK 3,000,000-3,500,000.

Press release - 30 November 2023 09:50

Bruun Rasmussen Looking to Repeat the Success – With CoBrA Art Worth Millions

75 years have passed since a group of progressive artists founded CoBrA at Café Notre Dame in Paris. Last December, Bruun Rasmussen sold CoBrA works for many millions of kroner – with three of them setting world records in just one evening. Bruun Rasmussen is now hoping to repeat the success when the auction house holds a magnificent themed auction for the second time, with hundreds of CoBrA works set to go under the hammer.

The works of the powerfully-named CoBrA art movement were in high demand last December, when Bruun Rasmussen – Part of the Bonhams Network sold works by the CoBrA artists for more than DKK 33 million in a single evening. A painting by Corneille, the Belgian artist and co-founder of the CoBrA movement, set a world record when it sold for a whopping DKK 3.3 million! Seven other works by Asger Jorn, Karel Appel and Pierre Alechinsky, as well as another by Corneille sold for over a million.

Demand for CoBrA Is Still High

According to Bruun Rasmussen, interest in and demand for CoBrA art are far from over, and the auction house has therefore chosen once again to put the spotlight on the pioneering art movement when, in collaboration with Bonhams’ global network of auction houses, they swing the hammer over an impressive selection of works by all the most significant artists of the CoBrA movement.

“Our auction last year confirmed that CoBrA art is growing in popularity with art collectors, and that the demand for works by CoBrA artists is high. The international auction houses are also experiencing huge interest among buyers – a clear indication of how Danish art is helping to break down the barrier to foreign countries and international collectors. We are therefore very much looking forward to once again being able to offer so many spectacular works by the big names of the movement at one and the same auction,” says Niels Raben, Senior Specialist in Modern Art at Bruun Rasmussen.

The works – numbering over a hundred – will be offered at a major Live Auction in Bruun Rasmussen’s new auction room in Lyngby on 5 December, which will take place in collaboration with Bonhams’ global network of auction houses. Among the absolute highlights of the auction are two works by Pierre Alechinsky: “Lucioles” from 1984 and “Noyé” from c. 1960 – estimated at DKK 3–3.5 million and DKK 2–2.3 million respectively. Also featured is the work “Mon canal chante” from 1949 by Corneille, estimated at DKK 2.5–3 million, and the work “Bel-Air” by Asger Jorn, estimated at DKK 2–2.5 million.

Even more works will then be offered at an Online Auction on Bruun Rasmussen’s website on 12 December.

CoBrA – Powerful Voices of Post-War Europe

The CoBrA movement was founded in 1948 and can thus celebrate 75 years this year. It was founded by a small group of artists with different nationalities who all shared the same ideas about the role of art in society including Asger Jorn, Christian Dotremont, Karel Appel, and Corneille. After the horrors of the two world wars, CoBrA's ideology emerged as a desire to reform society, transcend conventions and create a better world for humanity. Art was considered a means to this change. All previously held truths had to be broken down in the attempt to create a new kind of art.

CoBrA became one of the most pioneering art movements of the 20th century. The movement influenced a large group of artists over several decades and resonated far beyond the borders of Europe. The powerful name of CoBrA was formed from the initials of the hometowns of the artists involved: Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam.

The group’s symbol was also very fitting the snake – precisely because they wanted to be considered poisonous, aggressive and deliver a true bite in their attempt to break down the structures of the bourgeoisie structures, norms, conformity and capitalism.

The CoBrA sale takes place in collaboration with Bonhams at a major Live Auction on 5 December at Nørgaardsvej 3 in Lyngby and subsequently at an Online Auction at bruun-rasmussen.dk on 12 December.

The works can be experienced in Bruun Rasmussen’s exhibition rooms at Nørgaardsvej 3 in Lyngby from 29 November to 2 December (both days included).

Read much more about the upcoming CoBrA Auction and the CoBrA movement HERE.