Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein is having a clear-out to make way for the thoroughly modern and revamped Dresdner Kleinwort. In preparation for its facelift, the firm is auctioning off to staff the antique artwork and furniture that adorned its Swan Lane office in London. The George III décor was not in keeping with the new office in Gresham Street, which instead has a Williams F1 racing car in the lobby.
Among the 1,350 lots up for grabs is a view of Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples attributed to 18th-century Italian artist Antonio Joli, which, given its £400,000 starting bid, is unlikely to end up with an employee, admit sources at the firm. Anything not sold to staff on the firm’s intranet will be auctioned off to the public. All proceeds will go toward purchasing modern artwork for the new offices.
