Expertise, competence and trust

– the staff of Villa Grisebach all feel a profound sense of obligation to these terms, which represent more than mere words. Our work is inspired by a permeating leitmotif: a deep love of art that never threatens to become routine. If there is one trait the staff of Villa Grisebach has displayed through two decades of existence with no sign of diminishing, it is the enthusiasm for each individual art work. Whether masterpiece or insider’s tip, our reward is the pleasure in recognizing and sharing a moment of great art with like-minded individuals and to feel part of a network that is devoted, as collector or researcher, to an aesthetic sensibility. Such a reward far exceeds any aspect of a mercantile advantage. The highlight of our work is the semi-annual catalogue publications and the previews. During this period the Villa Grisebach is transformed into a temporary museum and a place of surprising discovery which defines art history anew.

Lifting spirit

The Villa Grisebach is, of course, also a market place for the fine arts, and a very successful one for our clients. This success is not in the least due to the fact that the Villa Grisebach is also a very ambitious research center. Modern art history and responsible art dealing are committed to the same principles; its ideal is the diaphanous, intelligent biography of each art work – which is of advantage to the seller as well as to the buyer. Berlin is a very good place to pursue such areas of research as the history of a work’s creation, effect and ownership.  We work within a stone’s throw of internationally reputed museums and are located in one of the world’s most comprehensive areas for art and cultural historical research. This provides ideal conditions for the quick output of expertise. The Villa Grisebach is a “maneuverable speedboat” (Bernd Schultz), compared to the heavy tankers of global art dealership.  All those who have visited our house in the Fasanenstraße sense that the art itself is the dominating, uniting factor. Eric Kandel, Nobel Prize winner, wrote in our guest book, “Every time I come here it lifts my spirit.” Many people have felt this sentiment for the past twenty years, which nurtures a sense of belonging to the “Grisebach community”. The Villa’s door is always open to a worldwide community of serious art lovers and cannot suppress the tone of an international family that has become one of its distinguishing features. Those who come to us in search of consultation are not caught up in an apparatus of anonymity but instead are offered immediate and personal attention by professionals with expertise and experience in individual needs. Consultation often goes beyond the topic of the auctions themselves.

A way of thinking

The personal atmosphere of the Villa Grisebach sits side by side with its internationality. The Hanseatic origin of our founder has contributed the element of worldly thinking to the Villa Grisebach. The dramatic globalization of the art market has therefore come as no shock to us but rather reflects a way of thinking that has long been part of our firm. It is no coincidence our company is named after a historical Berlin building. Berlin has once again turned into what the founders of Villa Grisebach foresaw as “self-fulfilling prophecy” two decades ago: a cultural metropolis. Thus, the genius loci belong to the spirit of Villa Grisebach. To promote friendship, to remain historically aware, and to proclaim the best of Berlin, its enlightened spirit of curiosity and tolerance; this is the message of Villa Grisebach, a message to which we are committed.