Kunsthandel

Dr. Robert Keil

Gloriettegasse 13, 1130 Wien, Österreich

In spring 1987, more than 30 years ago, I exhibited for the first time at an art and antiques fair. It was Easter in Salzburg. I had finished my studies in art history, gained my first practical experience in an auction house and quickly decided to become and art dealer. From the beginning I have been dealing with portrait miniatures, and drawings from the 16th.-19th. century.

I have not regretted it because of two major reasons. Firstly, dealing with art is incredibly satisfying and varied. Secondly, when you buy a beautiful piece of art, for a short moment you are the art dealer and the owner at the same time and have the possibility to enjoy the grace of the artwork for yourself until you pass it on to a collector. As art historian, I am also a collector – a collector of knowledge, expertise and new insights that I have been able to work up in two comprehensive publications: "Die Porträtminiaturen des Hauses Habsburg", 2009 „Heinrich Friedrich Füger, Monografie mit Werkverzeichnis“).

The Portrait Miniatures are not only a beautiful and international field of collecting, they are also abstract in their technique - point and line - these are the basics of their design. From this manner the most beautiful works of art can be created.

The Drawing is also based on a very reduced framework - line and plane - only the combination of several lines results in a more complex composition. 

Later I included Paintings in my program. I specialized in baroque oil sketches and works from Classicism. These bozzetti express the artistic strength in small scale, which is often lost in the later large format versions. The art of Classicism is an intellectual challenge, since it was at that time that artists first tried to convey the ideas of the Enlightenment through an emotional approach - thoughts that are not so easy to comprehend today.

The artworks from these different areas are now presented in private as well as public collections (see references) and demonstrate me that my professional path was right.

Business models have changed over time. That's why I decided to include a new division in the revised website. In the section "Trouvaillen" you will find works of art at very reasonable prices - ideal for quick decisions. I always advise my customers to compare works of art to recognize their quality, regardless of their price - only this way you learn to recognize the artistic quality and value.

With best regards,
Robert Keil