STAR SALES

Artwork looted by the Nazis and Karl Lagerfeld's fan collection are among Caroline Wheater's top lots from recent auctions

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1. Art of justice

Estimate £1,000,000-£1,500,000 Sold £3,307,000

One of the highlights of Christie's '20th/ 21st Century' sales last spring was an evocative portrait by the Austrian artist Egon Schiele (1890-1918), entitled Knabe in Matrosenanzug or Boy in a Sailor Suit, signed and dated 1914. A blend of gouache, watercolour, crayon and pencil, and almost half a metre tall, the painting shows Schiele's mastery of drawing and expressionist colouring. It was acquired in 1925 by Austrian cabaret performer and writer, Fritz Grünbaum, who became an outspoken opponent of Nazism. Grünbaum's art collection included works by Rodin, Pissarro and Signac, but he was especially fond of Egon Schiele, and purchased more than 80 of the artist's works, including portraits, nudes and melancholic landscapes. After the German annexation of Austria in 1938, Grünbaum was interned at Dachau concentration camp where he perished in 1941. His art collection was lost when his wife, Lilly, was deported to another concentration camp where she, too, was murdered. Grünbaum's heirs have been pursuing family artworks since the 1990s, and the sale of this painting was handled by Christie's restitution team. Some of the proceeds went towards the Grünbaum Fischer Foundation, which supports performing artists. Heir, Timothy Reif, said: 'This is another moment to celebrate the memory of our family member who was a brave artist, art collector, and opponent of Fascism.' christies.com 2. Flighty buy

2. Flighty buy

Estimate £80-£120

Sold £325