After nearly four decades at the helm of Bernheimer, his family’s venerable gallery in Munich, Konrad Bernheimer is liquidating the assets of the 151-year-old firm and selling Burg Marquartstein, the medieval Bavarian castle that housed many of them. “Running the family business for the past 38 years has been an immeasurable privilege,” says Bernheimer. “Now, I pass the legacy to the next generation, which will take our name forward in new and exciting directions.”Founded by Konrad’s great-grandfather Lehmann Bernheimer, the decorative arts enterprise was the trusted source for the Bavarian courts until the tumultuous war years of the 20th century, after which the Bernheimer family slowly rebuilt the business. When Konrad took the reins in 1977, he narrowed the firm’s focus, choosing to specialize in Old Master paintings, the market for which was on the rise at the time. He cemented his place as a leading player in that market segment with his 2002 acquisition of the London dealership Colnaghi, which was founded in the late 18th century. Going forward, two of Konrad’s four daughters—Blanca and Isabel—will run the Bernheimer enterprise, shifting its focus to contemporary art and photography. Konrad will continue to trade in Old Masters under the aegis of Colnaghi.The Bernheimer collection—which includes works by Jan Brueghel the Elder and a recently discovered Claude-Joseph Vernet, Moonlit Seascape, 1754, above, estimated at £400,000 to £600,000 ($622–932,000), goes under the gavel at Sotheby’s London November 24 and 25. Collectively, the 500-plus lots are expected to fetch more than £6 million ($9.3 million). The price of the castle, an hour’s drive from Munich and available through Sotheby’s International Realty, is available on request.
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