Between treasure hunt and doubt: Art in the estate from Schiele to Picasso

A basement in Vienna, crammed with boxes, furniture, and forgotten papers. In a folder, tucked away among bills and old photographs, several drawings surface. Some are even signed with the name "Picasso ." For the family, it's the find of a lifetime. They believe they're holding a fortune—until an investigation reveals: artfully crafted, but forgeries.

Such scenes don't take place in museums or auction houses, but in ordinary homes. Alina Baranyi , an estate liquidation expert at Rümpel Max , knows them firsthand. For more than 15 years, she has been assisting families in the liquidation of apartments and houses.

She has overseen over 2,000 estates – and repeatedly discovered objects that broaden our understanding of art and cultural history. "Dissolving an estate is never just a matter of logistics ," she says. "It's a treasure hunt in everyday life."

An Oppenheim in the living room

Particularly striking was the discovery of a painting in an apartment in Vienna's old district. For decades, it hung unnoticed above the sofa, among family photos and dusty shelves. For the relatives, it was a painting of no particular value. But during an apartment clearance, its quality was noticed.

Experts were consulted, and the examination confirmed the suspicion: It was a work by Moritz Daniel Oppenheim , the important Jewish painter of the 19th century. With the support of the Jewish Museum Frankfurt, its authenticity was confirmed.

Schiele or Schatz?

Not every find can be so clearly identified. A drawing was discovered in an art dealer's estate whose angular lines and flat composition immediately Egon Schiele . The excitement was immense. Several museums examined the work, some considering it possible that it was indeed an early work.

In the end, however, it turned out to be by Otto Rudolf Schatz , an Austrian artist from the interwar period. The signature had been cut off—perhaps accidentally, perhaps deliberately, to create the impression of a Schiele. "It was a lesson in expectation and reality ," Baranyi recalls.

The hope for a sensational discovery was huge, but science has its own laws.”

Picasso in the basement

Even more exciting was the discovery in the basement of an old apartment. While clearing out a room in Vienna, the team came across a folder full of drawings. Some of the drawings even bore the name Picasso .

It was clear to the family: this had to be the treasure of their lives. But analyses told a different story: the paper wasn't from the correct era, the ink behaved oddly, and some strokes repeated almost mechanically. It soon became clear: these weren't originals, but artful forgeries.

The quieter treasures

Sometimes it's precisely the unspectacular finds that are of particular value. A hand-colored Goethe book that was sitting among paperbacks on a shelf. Documents from the imperial family that lay neglected in a folder for decades. Or a signed photograph of Johann Strauss that suddenly brought Vienna's musical history into sharp focus.

Such pieces rarely achieve record prices at auctions, but they are indispensable for archives, museums, and research. They document everyday culture and bring history to life in an intimate way.

Artists' estates as treasure troves

Not only private homes, but also entire artists' estates are being liquidated. For example, that of the largely unknown painter Fred Nowak . What at first glance appeared to be the work of a forgotten artist turned out, upon closer inspection, to be a collection full of unexpected surprises: Among them were works by Arnulf Rainer and Alfred Hrdlicka , two key figures in Austrian postwar art.

Such estates are treasure troves that not only preserve an artist's work but also make networks, exchanges, and influences visible.

Market observations: Design booms, antiques collapse

Anyone who opens estates also observes the market's movements. It's striking that modern design remains in high demand. Pieces by Karl Auböck and the Hagenauer workshops fetch high prices, as does vintage furniture from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. Mid-century design remains a favorite.

The situation is quite different with classic antiques. Furniture from the Baroque, Historicist, Wilhelminian, or Biedermeier periods is almost impossible to sell today. "We observe that the present is driving interest ," says Baranyi.

Design classics are in demand – old antiques, on the other hand, remain standing.”

Conclusion: Treasure hunt in secret

Estate liquidations are far more than just clearing out apartments. They are journeys into the past that unearth treasures, memories, and sometimes even controversial issues. From a forgotten Oppenheim to Picasso forgeries to market trends and expert disputes – every liquidation tells its own story.

"We never know what awaits us ," says Baranyi. "But that's precisely what makes it fascinating. Every estate is a treasure trove—sometimes full of memories, sometimes full of art history."