A superb suite of the original ink and gouache drawings – one shown left – made by Carl Otto Czeschka to illustrate a 1908 edition of Die Niebelungen dem Deutschen Volke sold at $290,000 (£224,805) in a Sotheby’s New York (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) sale of June 6 called Important Design.
They were made for one of a series of beautifully illustrated books for children published in Vienna by Martin Gerlachs. From 1902 he had engaged leading artists to work on the series, and original artworks were shown alongside works by Klimt and others at the 13th Secessionist Exhibition in Vienna.