4| 18

The drama of Death and Koller ibid

landscape the devil online only
PAGE 7 PAGE 14 PAGE 22
Dear Readers,
The digital age has led to an economic and societal revolution the likes of which mankind has seldom seen – and it is not over
yet. With our new “online only” auctions – beginning in November 2018 under the label “ibid” – we will offer works online which
until now have appeared in our “Koller West” auctions. The lots in our ibid auctions in November and December are from
such diverse collecting categories as Fashion (with handbags and accessories by Hermès, Chanel and Louis Vuitton), Design
(including works by Eileen Gray, Le Corbusier and the Milan firm Danese), Silver, Wine, Paintings, Prints and Asian Art. You can
read more about these auctions on page 22. We hope you will enjoy browsing our new ibid online catalogues beginning on
26 November.

Important artworks, precious jewellery and rare Asian sculpture will continue to be featured in our classic saleroom auctions.
We are especially pleased to present two well-known and rarely offered sunset paintings by Felix Vallotton and Adolf Dietrich
in the same auction, on 7 December (page 7). One of the most important scholars of Vallotton and Dietrich, Rudolf Koella, will
give a talk (in German) on the work of these two exceptional artists at our preview vernissage on 27 November. Please be sure
to reserve early, as space is limited.

In closing, we draw your attention to the numerous works of art from past centuries featured in this issue that were offered
in our 2018 auctions (page 14 ff). We are currently accepting consignments for our March 2019 auctions of Old Masters and
19th Century Fine & Decorative Arts. We would be very pleased to hear from you.

I hope you enjoy the magazine and look forward to welcoming you back soon to Koller, either in our salerooms or via our web-
site.

Cyril Koller

OURview. P. 2
Editorial

PREview. P. 3 – 13
December auctions

REview. P. 14 – 21
Review of 2018 auctions

NEWview. P. 22
New: Koller ibid online only

OVERview. P. 23
Contacts

CALENDARview. P. 24 1

Auctions & Events

Texts: Dr. Tilo Richter KOLLERview is published four times annually.

English translations: Karl Green Next issue: March 2019.

Layout: Laura Koller All auction results include buyer’s premium.

Photos: Koller Auctions Ltd. 1 CHF = € 0.87 / 1 CHF = 1.00 US Dollar
(as of October 2018)

2
 © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein / 2018, ProLitteris, Zurich
2

The cosmos behind the black

Preview of the Modern Prints and PostWar & Contemporary Art Auctions on 8 December 2018

On 24 December 2018, the painter and graphic artist
Pierre Soulages, one of the leading figures of French
contemporary art, will celebrate his 99th birthday. To-
gether with German artist Hans Hartung (1904–1989)
and Russian painter Serge Poliakoff (1900–1969),
Soulages influenced an entire generation of abstract
artists. His early interest in prehistoric and Romanes-
que art was followed by an intense dialogue with the
works of Rembrandt, Courbet, Cézanne and Picasso.
With his friends Hartung and Francis Picabia, he parti-
cipated in the Salon des Surindépendants in 1947, and
one year later his works went on tour with the exhibiti-
on “Französische Abstrakte Malerei”. Since that time,
his works have achieved international recognition.
velopers of the screen printing technique in Germany.
Through “Edition Domberger”, they edited countless
artists’ works. In the current auction are featured a
series of printed works by 20th-century artists from
the Domberger collection such as the Bauhaus artist
Anni Albers (1899–1994) and the American minimal­
ist painters Sol LeWitt (1928–2007) and Robert Man-
gold (*1937).

The art of the 20th century is also represented by

several ceramic works by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
and prints by Swiss artist Lili Tschudi (1911–2004).
“KASS-II”, 1973, an acrylic painting by Hungarian
art­
ist and student of Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Victor
Vasarely (1906–1997), possesses all of the charac-
teristics of the Op-Art style which Vasarely co-foun-
ded. With its seemingly spatial geometric structure,
© 2018, ProLitteris, Zürich

it sheds its two-dimensionality and tests the limits of

the viewer’s perception.

The German Luitpold Domberger, along with his son

Michael Domberger, are considered pioneers and de-
3 4

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

1 Alessandro Guerriero. Armoire. Unique piece for 3 P
 ierre Soulages. Untitled. 1973.
POSTWAR & CONTEMPORARY
Alchimia. Laminated wood with polychrome decora- Gouache on paper mounted on canvas.
PRINTS & MULTIPLES
tion. Estimate: CHF 35 000 / 55 000 Signed. 75 × 54.5 cm.
Silke Stahlschmidt (Design auction, 6.12.2018) Estimate: CHF 80 000 / 140 000
stahlschmidt@kollerauctions.com
2 R
 oy Lichtenstein. Crying Girl. 1963. 4 M
 arcia Hafif. Untitled. 1963.
ONLINE CATALOGUES Two colour offsets. 43.2 × 58.4 cm. Signed. Acrylic on canvas. 140 × 140 cm.
www.kollerauctions.com Estimate: CHF 20 000 / 30 000 Estimate: CHF 8 000 / 12 000

3
 © Nolde Stiftung Seebüll

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

IMPRESSIONIST &
MODERN ART
Fabio Sidler
sidler@kollerauctions.com
Jara Koller
jara.koller@kollerauctions.com
1 E
 mil Nolde. Doppelbild (Sie seltsames Licht). 3 C
 hristian Schad. Angelika Herrschmann. 1947.
PRINTS & MULTIPLES 1918. Oil on canvas. 60.6 × 56.2 cm. Oil on canvas backed with masonite. 41 × 34 cm.
Silke Stahlschmidt Estimate: CHF 600 000 / 900 000 Estimate: CHF 25 000 / 35 000
stahlschmidt@kollerauctions.com
2 O
 tto Dix. Wintertag in Randegg. 1933. 4 P
 ablo Picasso. Hibou. 1968. Vase.
ONLINE CATALOGUES Mixed media on panel. 60 × 80 cm. Painted ceramic. 59/500. H 30 cm.
www.kollerauctions.com Estimate: CHF 70 000 / 100 000 Estimate: CHF 8 000 / 12 000

4

2
Life choices in the time of ostracism
Preview of the Impressionist & Modern Art Auction on 7 December 2018
© Christian Schad Stiftung Aschaffenburg / 2018, ProLitteris, Zurich
3 that had suddenly so fundamentally changed.
The post-1933 landscapes of Otto Dix (1891–1969)
were made during the period of “inner emigration” af-
ter the Nazi accession to power in Germany. Dix, who
was one of the first art professors to be dismissed
from the Kunstakademie in Dresden, witnessed the
systematic removal of 260 of his artworks from Ger-
man museums and their subsequent inclusion in the
infamous “Degenerate Art” propaganda exhibit in Mu-
nich in 1937. The artist, who considered himself to be
one of the founders of the Neue Sachlichkeit (“New
Objectivity”) movement, and whose work during the
years of the Weimar Republic was marked by scenes
bitingly critical of society, withdrew to Randegg castle
© 2018, ProLitteris, Zürich


in southern Germany. There, in view of political con- rather sought to render a psychological image. His
ditions, he devoted himself above all to landscape subjects were often friends and close family mem-
painting. “I was banned to the countryside. […] I fled bers. An example of this is “Doppelbild (Sie seltsames
into the countryside, and painted and painted.” he Licht)”, 1918 (ill. 1.), to be offered on 7 December. The
noted. characteristics of the individuals depicted led him
towards a free, universally valid representation in
“Wintertag in Randegg”, 1933 (ill. 2.), to be offered in strong colours and distinctive forms. “Duality held an
the 7 December auction, is an excellent example of important place in my paintings and graphic works.
this phase of Dix’s work. Painted in a glazed mixed Together or in conflict, man and woman, delight and
media technique, Dix employs the savoir faire of the sorrow, deity and devil. The colours were also set
Old Masters to depict the atmosphere of the south- in contrast: cold and warm, light and dark, weak and
ern German countryside near the Lake of Constance strong,” wrote the artist in 1948.
and the Upper Rhine. He drew inspiration from the
Danube School painters, from Romantics such as
Caspar David Friedrich, as well as from the painterly
technique of Pieter Brueghel the Elder. At the same
time, the choice of these peaceful motifs speaks to
his forced withdrawal from big-city life and a society
Dix’s contemporary and fellow countryman Emil
Nolde – actually Hans Emil Hansen (1867–1956), who
in 1902 adopted the name of his Northern Schleswig
© Succession Picasso / 2018, ProLitteris, Zurich
(and from 1920 Danish) birthplace – is considered
to be one of the greatest watercolour artists of the
20th century. In 1937, this important Expressionist
was surprised and dismayed by the defamation of his
works by the Nazis.
Portraits not only hold a major place within the body
of Nolde’s work, they are also a fascinating reflection
of the artist’s profound interest in the human spirit.
Nolde was not a portraitist in the classic sense, but 4
5
1

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

2
SWISS ART
Cyril Koller
koller@kollerauctions.com
1 G
 iovanni Giacometti. Mountain landscape. 3 A
 dolf Dietrich. Abendstimmung am Untersee.
Laura Koller 1931. Oil on canvas. 75.5 × 80 cm. 1926. Oil on board. 32.7 × 42.9 cm.
lkoller@kollerauctions.com Estimate: CHF 120 000 / 180 000 Estimate: CHF 200 000 / 300 000

2 G
 ottardo Segantini. Sera d'inverno.
ONLINE CATALOGUES 1919. Oil on canvas. 105 × 152 cm.
www.kollerauctions.com Estimate: CHF 120 000 / 180 000
4 F
 elix Vallotton. Coucher de soleil jaune et vert.
1911. Oil on canvas. 54 × 81 cm.
Estimate: CHF 700 000 / 1 200 000

6

3
The drama of landscape
Preview of the Swiss Art Auction on 7 December 2018
The art of landscape painting has continually un-
dergone transformations throughout its long histo-
ry. Naturalistic representations with geographically
identifiable elements, which existed in Europe from
the 15th century, subsequently branched out towards
idealised landscapes. These compositions contained
symbolically charged visual inventions or motifs which
communicated the atmospheric qualities of the orig-
inal visual content while subtly imbuing it with human
perceptions. Landscape painting, especially in the
waning years of the 19th century, eventually freed it-
self from optical and formal fidelity to nature. The Bar-
4
bizon school with its paysage intime and the Impres-
sionists rediscovered the landscape and attached
completely new meanings to the colour spectrum and
analytical painting techniques. With the Expressionist
movements in the early 20th century, these tenden-
cies were given a further stimulus, leading to the next
metamorphosis in landscape painting.
Adolf Dietrich’s (1877–1957) impressive lake view in
the 7 December auction of Swiss Art (ill. 3) shows in-
triguing parallels to the landscape paintings of Swiss
artist Félix Vallotton (1865–1925) (ill. 4), even though
© 2018, ProLitteris, Zürich
Dietrich was not familiar with Vallotton’s work. Re-
markably, both artists arrived separately at similar
creative solutions. Like Vallotton, Dietrich was seek-
ing intensification of colour and motif in the portrayal
of landscapes. For both artists, the focus was less on a
realistic rendering than on a symbolically charged de-
piction, which occasionally recalls dream sequences,
references to which are clearly found in Metaphysical
Art.
The Untersee at twilight was a favourite subject for
Dietrich, especially in the mid-1920s and the early
1930s. In 1926, he filled two almost identically sized
fields with this motif, with an eerily exact reflection of
the sky in the perfectly still water. The static equilibri-
um is unsettling for the viewer; it symbolises the di-
minishing light after sundown and the transformation
from day to night, which will never be fully realized in
this artistically captured moment. Time is suspend-
ed. The subject of this painting is not a specific place
(in this case a part of Lake Constance), but rather the
expression of a particular mood. Dietrich’s landscape
paintings were preceded by numerous pastel studies
from his early career, in which he captured the diver-
sity of light effects on Lake Constance. The expres-
sivity and colour of the pastel works are intensified in
the oil paintings, rendering them even more dramatic
and imaginative. The painting featured on 7 Decem-
ber was first auctioned by Koller in 1994 and has re-
mained in the family collection of the purchaser. It
can be classed among a series of comparable views in
which Dietrich worked exhaustively on depictions of
the Southern German landscape.
7

Animals, with empathy
Preview of the Art Nouveau & Art Deco Auction on 6 December 2018
Fascinating animal sculptures were Italian artist Rem-
brandt Bugatti’s (1884–1916) signature creations.
The name Bugatti would become world famous be-
cause of the automobile company founded by the
artist’s elder brother Ettore. It was not by chance that
Bugatti’s parents followed the suggestion of his god-
father, established sculptor Ercole Rosa, to christen
their new-born child “Rembrandt”, thus predestining
him to an artistic future. In the Bugatti family and circle
of friends there were already numerous artists, begin-
ning with his grandfather who worked as a sculptor; his
father, a furniture and jewellery designer; Rembrandt’s
uncle, none less than the artist Giovanni Segantini,
and among the family’s friends was the composer Gi-
acomo Puccini.
A self-taught artist, Rembrandt Bugatti learned
bronze casting from the Parisian gallerist and bronze
founder Adrien-Aurélien Hébrard, whose clients in-
cluded such artists as Edgar Degas and Auguste
Rodin. Bugatti – who from his youth had demonstrated
© 2018, ProLitteris, Zürich
2 history of European art.
1
considerable artistic talent and already enjoyed com-
mercial success with his exhibitions – was an animal
lover who obsessively studied the natural world in the
zoological gardens of Paris and Antwerp. He was es-
pecially drawn to the exotic wild animals in these zoos,
which resulted in an impressive array of sculptures of
elephants, peacocks, camels, anteaters, yaks, kan-
garoos, and countless feline predators. The flamingo
offered in the 6 December auction (ill. 4) is one of ap-
proximately 300 animal sculptures that Bugatti creat-
ed. This genre was very popular in the years around
1900 and sculptors, known as animaliers, made an-
imals in every imaginable shape, size and material.
These were not only destined for high-society sitting
rooms, but also for the private and public collections
of the time.
Unlike other artists who worked primarily from sketch-
es, Bugatti modelled his clay figures directly on site in
zoos, and even sometimes in the animals’ enclosures.
He was able to reproduce the animals with astonish-
ing realism, yet always with sensitivity and individuality.
Many of his sculptures still bear the marks of his fin-
gerprints on their surfaces – “as if he wanted to cap-
ture the fleeting movement of an animal with his two
hands.” The nervous energy of these years before the
First World War is latent beneath the pelts, feathers
and skins of his subjects.
Rembrandt Bugatti’s work, much celebrated in his life-
time, was forgotten soon after his early death. After a
modest exhibition in the Hamburg Museum für Kunst
und Gerwebe in 1983, this injustice was finally recti-
fied with a comprehensive retrospective in the Alte
Nationalgalerie in Berlin in 2014. It showed Bugatti as
a virtuoso and empathetic sculptor in the tradition of
the 19th century, who left his own unique mark on the
3
8
1 Erwin Blumenfeld. Hat Fashion, Dior, New York, 1946.
Silver gelatin print. Vintage. 33 × 26.7 cm.
Estimate: CHF 20 000 / 30 000
(Photography auction, 4.12.2018)

2 E
 douard Marcel Sandoz. Groupe de chèvres. 1937.
Bronze with brown patina. H 42 cm.
Estimate: CHF 45 000 / 60 000

3 T
 iffany Studios N.Y. “Twelve-light lily” floor lamp.
Circa 1910. Gilt bronze and Favrile glass. H 141 cm.
Estimate: CHF 30 000 / 40 000

4 Rembrandt Bugatti. “Le flamant en marche”. Circa 1912.

Bronze with black patina. H 33.5 cm.
Estimate: CHF 70 000 / 100 000

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

ART NOUVEAU & ART DECO

Jean-Pierre Dalla Vedova 4
dallavedova@kollerauctions.com

PHOTOGRAPHY
Gabriel Müller
mueller@kollerauctions.com

ONLINE CATALOGUES
www.kollerauctions.com
 1

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

WATCHES
1 A limited edition Patek Philippe 4 Emerald and fancy diamond corsage brooch.
Uwe Vischer anniversary chronograph. 2015. Circa 1950. 18K white gold. Suspending a
vischer@kollerauctions.com 18K yellow gold. Ref. 5975 J.
 Colombian pear-shaped emerald of ca. 59.00 ct.
Estimate: CHF 40 000 / 60 000 Estimate: CHF 120 000 / 180 000

JEWELLERY 2 Natural pearl and diamond ear pendants. 5 Emerald and diamond ring. Circa 1950.
Carla Süssli 18K white gold, 25g. Platinum and white gold. Set with 1 fine,
Total weight of diamonds ca. 2.20 ct. octagonal Colombian emerald of ca. 15.30 ct.
suessli@kollerauctions.com Estimate: CHF 80 000 / 120 000 Estimate: CHF 25 000 / 35 000

ONLINE CATALOGUES 3 Natural pearl and diamond brooch. 6 Harry Winston. Diamond bracelet, platinum 950.
Circa 1900. Silver and pink gold. Set with 10 pear-shaped, 30 marquise-shaped and
www.kollerauctions.com Estimate: CHF 30 000 / 50 000 220 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling ca. 38.00 ct.
Estimate: CHF 80 000 / 120 000

10
 2

Cartier, Bulgari and Patek Philippe

Preview of the Watches and Jewellery Auctions on 5 December

Over 400 lots of Jewellery and Watches will be offered
on 5 December, including numerous diamonds and
coloured precious stones, High Jewellery by Chopard,
Harry Winston, Bulgari and Cartier, and fine pieces by
Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Lalaounis, Vourakis
and Buccellati. Of special note are a pair of ear
pendants with two large, pear-shaped natural pearls
(ill. 2), and a natural pearl brooch from the family of the
Marquise Bevilacqua Ariosti (ill. 3). Other lots of par-
ticular interest are a very decorative diamond brooch
with a pinkish-orange pear-shaped 6.93 carat fancy
diamond; a Colombian emerald, circa 59 carats, sus-
pended as a pendant (ill. 4), and an octahedron dia-
mond with a captivating asterism effect.

11
 1 2
Magic masks
Preview of the Asian Art Auctions on 3 and 4 December 2018
Ritual masks play a central role in the religious cele-
brations of the southwestern Indian coastal region of
Tulu Nadu. These elaborately crafted masks do not
represent popular Hindu deities such as Shiva and
Vishnu, but rather local gods and heroes like Daiva
and Bhuta. Through theatrical dance performances,
professional dancers bring the honoured deities to
life. During these trancelike enactments by the Pam-
bada, the gods take possession of the dancers, who
then – endowed with superhuman qualities – accept
offerings and wishes, resolve conflicts, administer
justice and heal the sick. Along with the sacred masks,
the ritual involves opulently decorated costumes and
majestic structures, up to several meters high. Behind
these expressive mask dances lies the fascinating
mythology of the relatively small geographic region
in which Tulu culture thrives, recounted in music and
song during the festivities. The myths are passed on
3 zhou, which brought this style, with its multicolour
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
ASIAN ART
Regi Preiswerk
preiswerk@kollerauctions.com
ONLINE CATALOGUES
www.kollerauctions.com
orally from one generation to the next. The elaborate stone inlay – the so-called “hundred treasures” inlay
religious celebrations mark the annual calendar, and – to perfection in the later years of the Ming dynasty.
ritual masks are frequently part of the performances. Pieces of this quality of craftsmanship seldom appear
In the 4 December auction, a Panjurli mask from the on the market.
18th/19th century is rendered as a stylised head of a
wild boar (ill. 1), while Pilichandi masks always take the
form of a tiger (ill. 2).
A much more introspective manner of honouring de-
ities is represented by a 16th-century Tibetan figure
of Vajradhara (ill. 2). Seated on a double lotus throne,
the richly bejewelled, transcendent “primordial bud-
dha” (Adhibuddha) assumes the position of a teacher,
with his hands before his chest. In the cosmology of
Tibetan Buddhism, Vajradhara is considered the high-
est essence of all buddhas. His name signifies “lord of
the Vajra essence”. Figures like this one were made
for temples as well as for private use – for veneration
and for meditation.
A pair of elegant two-part cabinets in the 3 December
auction (ill. 4) were purportedly made for the sixteenth
and last Ming emperor Chongzhen (1611–1644).
This information was communicated by the seller, Xu
Shoushao, who offered them in Beijing in 1923 to the
New York banker and collector Henry H. Wehrhane.
The seller’s grandfather, Xu Tong (1819–1900), ac-
quired them from the emperor Guangxu (1871–1908),
whom he tutored. The provenance is related in a no-
tice translated into English in 1923 by J.C. Fitzhugh,
which was given to Wehrhane when he purchased the
cabinets. Many families among the nobility and civil
servants found themselves in difficult financial straits
after the fall of the Qing dynasty, and were forced to
sell all of their valuables. The cabinets are of the finest
quality and typical of the lacquer workshops of Yang-
4
1 A Bhuta mask of Panjurli. India, Karnataka, Tulu 3 A
 fine Dehua figure of Manjushri. China,
Nadu,18th/19th century. Bronze. H circa 27 cm. 18th century. H 22.2 cm.
Estimate: CHF 4 000 / 6 000 Estimate: CHF 10 000 / 15 000
2 A large Pilichandi Bhuta mask. India, Karnataka,Tulu 4 A splendid pair of Yangzhou style lacquer two-part
Nadu, 18th/19th century. Bronze. H 38.5 cm. cabinets. China, late Ming dynasty. Overall height
Estimate: CHF 5 000 / 8 000 H 173 cm. Estimate: CHF 120 000 / 180 000
12
5 A fine gilt copper alloy figure of Vajradhara.
Tibet, 16th century. H 25 cm.
Estimate: CHF 80 000 / 120 0000

13

Death and the devil
Review of the Old Master Paintings Auctions in 2018
Phantasmagorical scenes became prominent in the
visual arts in the early modern era. Various artistic
motifs were developed to address the passage from
here to the beyond, the uncertain transition from life
to death. Themes such as the “temptation of Saint
Anthony” (ill. 3), representations of Purgatory, apoc­
alyptic horsemen announcing the end of the world
(ill. 2), illustrations of the Last Judgement, and vanitas
paintings (ill. 1) all allowed artists to breach the estab-
lished canons of motif and figure and to explore a new
world of imagery. Paintings, woodcuts and sculpture
during the last years of the 15th century were par-
ticularly laden with symbolically charged images of
death and the devil, evil, corruption and sin personi-
fied as hybrid creatures, gnomes and monsters. Such
scenes increased the omnipresence of death in art,
while bringing the confrontation of the viewer with his
or her own transience to a new level.
One of the central figures in this pictorial narrative is
the Christian monk Saint Anthony, also known as An-
thony the Great. Legend has it that during his long
isolation in the desert he was continually assailed by
torturous visions that tempted him to abandon his
existence as a hermit. Anthony had to resist the devil,
FOR CONSIGNMENTS
AND ESTIMATES
OLD MASTER PAINTINGS
Karoline Weser
weser@kollerauctions.com
OLD MASTER PRINTS
Franz Diegelmann
diegelmann@kollerauctions.com
1
who appeared to him in the forms of a knight and a of art, a crucial distinction remains between the illu-
seductive woman, as well as suffering physical injuries sory trappings of immediate sensuality and indirect
inflicted by a host of demonic beasts. The numerous religious symbols.
representations of his ordeals – from 10th-century
frescoes, early illuminated manuscripts, and paint-
ings by Hieronymus Bosch and Mathias Grünewald, to
works by Max Ernst – are based on written accounts,
especially the Vita Antonii by Evagrius of Antioch.
Anthony’s trials also found echoes in literature, for
example in works by E. T. A. Hoffmann and Gustave
Flaubert. These impressively demonstrate how pro-
foundly Anthony became enshrined as the “divine
man” (theios aner).
The visual arts possess an entire lexicon of emblem-
atic vanitas symbolism related to the fleeting nature
of earthly existence, designed to remind viewers that
we have no power over life and death. The skull, the
lifeless snail shell, empty glasses and staged ruins are
somewhat one-dimensional ways of communicating
this message, while mirrors and parrots (as symbols
of abhorrent vanity), masks (which stand for the ab-
sence of their wearers) and playing cards (represent-
ing the tendency towards pointless pastimes) repre-
sent more complex relationships. Within the context 2
1 Carstian Luyckx. Memento mori still life. 3 Follower of Hieronymus Bosch. Circa 1550. The
Oil on canvas. 73.5 × 92.5 cm. temptation of Saint Anthony (detail). Oil on panel.
Sold for CHF 538 000 45 × 57 cm. Sold for CHF 200 000
2 Albrecht Dürer. The four horsemen of the
apocalypse. Circa 1497/98. Woodcut. 39.6 × 28 cm.
Sold for CHF 54 000
14
15
 X

FOR CONSIGNMENTS
AND ESTIMATES

FURNITURE
Stephan Koller
skoller@kollerauctions.com

SILVER
Corinne Koller
ckoller@kollerauctions.com
1 A parcel-gilt silver nef-form drinking cup. Nuremberg,
PORCELAIN early 17th century and later. Maker’s mark Esaias zur
Sabine Neumaier Linden. H ca. 44 cm. Sold for CHF 115 000
neumaier@kollerauctions.com

16
 2
A conversation among artworks
Review of the Fine Furniture, Silver and Porcelain Auctions, 25 and 27 September 2018
“The true collector is an artist, squared. He chooses
pictures and hangs them on the wall. In other words,
he paints himself a collection.” This quote by concep-
tual artist and Dadaist Marcel Duchamp presciently
describes a recent trend in collecting. The history
3
of collecting includes both the eclectic diversity of
princely cabinets of curiosities as well as coin collec-
tors, who strive to assemble complete collections.
Today’s art buyers often make their decisions based
on their own personal criteria and acquire works with
which they are ready to enter into a dialogue, which
contain their own stories, and will help to advance the
story of the entire collection. In this type of collect-
ing, breaking down borders is not discouraged, but
positively sought after: periods, styles and catego-
ries confront one another and ignite a wholly sub-
jective debate. Classicism meets Bauhaus, Baroque
encounters Mid-century, furniture seeks paintings,
2 An ivory hunting horn/olifant. Portugal, probably 3 A maiolica “ghirlanda di frutta”. Florence, Della
circa 1480. L 40 cm. Sold for CHF 95 000
and precious metals find their counterparts in por-
celain. This kind of internal osmosis has the greatest
chance for success when the artworks meet each
other face-to-face.
Collectors take the objects of their desire out of the
river of time, and also out of their context; at the
same time there is a new context in which the art-
work is allowed to develop. Although the plenitude
of the cabinet of curiosities remains the inspiration,
more important than the accumulation of curiosities
and precious items is the authenticity of the objects
and their individual idiosyncrasies. Each acquisition
stands alone, yet corresponds to its neighbor. With
this opportunity comes a facilitated access to oth-
ers – in the words of Goethe, “Give much, and then
to each one something passes. And each one leaves
the house with a happy heart.”
The 27 September Fine Furniture auction offered a
large, superbly carved console “à la coquille” made
over 300 years ago in a Parisian master workshop
(ill. 4). This striking piece is a fine example of the
Régence style
and the tran-
sition from the
rigid, architec-
tonic and mon-
umental forms
typical of Louis
XIV furniture to
lighter, scrolling
and serpentine
outlines. Further
developments in
4
Robbia workshop, probably 15th/16th century.
D 62 cm/41 cm/11 cm. Sold for CHF 20 000
this direction would lead in the following decades
to the Louis XV style. This console is thereby an el-
oquent witness to the evolution of form in French
furniture from the Baroque to Rococo among the
French royal court and nobility in the early years of
the 18th century.
Splendidly gilded like the console, an impressive silver
drinking vessel in the form of an exquisitely detailed
sailing ship changed hands in the Majolica, Porcelain
& Silver auction on 25 September (ill. 1). Created a
century earlier than the console, it was made by the
Nuremberg goldsmith Esaias zur Linden (active from
1609 to 1632), who most likely crafted the piece for a
particular client who wished to demonstrate his so-
cial rank by possessing such a precious object. Some
of the most important museums dedicated to the
decorative arts, such as the Hermitage and the Vic-
toria and Albert Museum, possess drinking vessels
by zur Linden, and another of his ship-form drinking
vessels was in the Yves Saint Laurent collection.
4 A large Régence carved giltwood console
“à la coquille”. From a Parisian master workshop,
circa 1710/20. Sold for CHF 78 000
17
18
 2
The century of change
Review of the 19th Century Paintings Auctions in 2018
3
Before circa 1800, periods in Western art can be seen
as a series of alternating styles. In the course of the
19th century, this evolutionary process was increas-
ingly superseded by a pluralism of styles, in which sev-
eral different artistic movements vied for the public’s
attention at the same time. The art contained con-
tradictions, was fast-moving and multi-dimensional –
much like the Industrial Revolution that occurred dur-
ing the same period – and was often disharmonious.
Art became categorized by various “isms” and styles
that no longer followed one another but existed si-
multaneously: Classicism, Biedermeier, Romanticism,
Realism, Naturalism, Historicism and Impressionism.
On the threshold of the 20th century, Post-Impres-
sionism, Symbolism, and especially Art Nouveau
FOR CONSIGNMENTS
AND ESTIMATES
19TH CENTURY PAINTINGS
Karoline Weser
weser@kollerauctions.com
set forth their own artistic premises, but even these is considered one of the most important repre-
main movements left ample room for numerous sentatives of the 19th-century Munich school. The
sub-movements to develop. September auction featured a typical landscape by
Spitzweg (ill. 2), created – as was often the case – in
Central to 19th century art, throughout all of its tech- plein air. With rapid, almost ephemeral touches and
niques and styles, is the treatment of light. William in a small format, he succeeded in conveying the airy
Turner (1755–1851) and John Constable (1776– feeling that pervades the landscape. Eugene Boudin
1837), both outstanding English landscape painters,
influenced the ensuing generation of artists, above all
the Barbizon school, with their plein air painting tech-
niques. The close link between technical advance-
ments and artistic developments at this time is best
illustrated by the influence of photography on the
visual arts. The ground-breaking discovery of photo-
graphic principles and the invention of processes to
conserve the resulting images – on paper by Henry
Fox Talbot in 1834, and daguerreotypes on silvered
copper plates in 1839 – opened completely new ho-
rizons for painting, such as the colour analysis works
of the Divisionists, including Georges Seurat (1859–
4
1891). (1824–1898) was called by some of his contemporar-
ies the “king of the skies”. He was also fascinated by
A fine example of the treatment of light in the Barbizon light and shadow, and their effect on the perception
school is the view of Venice (ill. 1) by French painter and artistic rendering of landscapes. Boudin always
Felix Ziem (1821–1911), sold in September 2018. paid particular attention in his work to the true-to-
The composition, in effervescent colours, is dominat- nature depiction of sky and water, as in “Dordrecht,
ed by an imposing sailing ship. Ziem creates a sunny, bateaux sur la Meuse” (ill. 4).
Mediterranean atmosphere through rapid brush-
strokes and impasto. Carl Spitzweg (1808–1885)
1 Felix Ziem. “Fête de l'Assomption, dans le bassin”. 3 Gustave Courbet. Still life with apples.
Oil on canvas. 67 × 82 cm. Circa 1846–47. Oil on panel. 45.5 × 55 cm.
Sold for CHF 86 000 Sold for CHF 138 000
2 Carl Spitzweg. Vor der Stadt. 1875–80. 4 Eugène Louis Boudin. “Dordrecht, bateaux sur la
Oil on panel. 16 × 30 cm. Meuse”. 1884. Oil on canvas. 46.5 × 65.3 cm.
Sold for CHF 68 000 Sold for CHF 118 000
19
A pair of Meissen models of pug dogs. Modelled by J. J.
Kändler and P. Reinicke. Circa 1744-1745.
H 15 cm.
Sold for CHF 27 000
Fra Jacobus.
A leaf from an antiphonary depicting
the Last Supper. Veneto, circa 1390.
5.6 × 3.9 cm
Sold for CHF 78 000

William Hamilton.Campi Phlegraei. Observations on the

Volcanos of the Two Siciles. Naples, Pietro Fabris,
1776–1779. Sold for CHF 78 000

A rare Romanesque gilt bronze crucifix.

Swabia, 2nd half 12th century. H 19.8 cm. L 17.8 cm.
A Heriz Serapi carpet. Antique. 350 × 440 cm.
 Sold for CHF 34 000
Sold for CHF 27 000

A Louis XV lacquer "secrétaire à abattant".

With stamp L. BOUDIN. Paris circa 1760/65.
Sold for CHF 78 500

Antwerp Master, circa 1610-1615.

A silver owl-shaped drinking vessel. Probably Lucerne, A study of the head of a monk looking upwards.
late 19th/early 20th century. H 27.5 cm. Oil on panel. 47.5 × 37.7 cm. Sold for CHF 336 000
Sold for CHF 16 000

20
A Russian cloisonné enamel box.
Moscow, 1908–17.
Maker’s mark GS (Cyrillic) for Grigory Mikhailovich
Sbitnev.
12 × 17 cm. Sold for CHF 32 000

The Master of the Lazzaroni Madonna. Madonna A parcel-gilt silver cup and cover. England, probably 19th
dell'Umiltà. Circa 1375. Tempera on gold ground panel. century. H 19.5 cm. D 10 cm.
90.5 × 50.5 cm. Sold for CHF 96 000 Sold for CHF 27 000

An early Meissen Böttger porcelain tea service.
Circa

1715–1720. Modelled by Johann Jacob Irminger.

Sold for CHF 74 000

Martin Schongauer. The temptation of Saint Anthony.

Circa 1469–73. Engraving on laid paper. Bernardo Strozzi, called Il Cappuccino. Portrait of Paolo
31.4 × 23.8 cm. Sold for CHF 58 000 Gregorio Raggi, governor of Corsica. Oil on canvas.
135 × 111 cm. Sold for CHF 216 000

A Meissen Böttger stoneware teapot with cover.


A pair of Renaissance patinated bronze horses.
After
Modelled by Johann Jacob Irminger. Circa 1710.

the Byzantine quadriga in Saint Mark’s Square, Venice,
H 10 cm. Sold for CHF 44 000
17th century.
H 32 cm. Sold for CHF 56 000
Johann Wilhelm Weinmann.
Phytanthoza-Iconographia.

Regensburg, 1735–1737–1745.

Sold for CHF 41 000

21
NEW

Click here for art

New at Koller: ibid online only auctions
Koller has been conducting successful auctions for identified with an icon. A detailed, fully researched de- before a lot closes, the bidding will be extended for an
60 years, and during this time we have witnessed scription accompanies each lot, along with high-res- additional minute, allowing other bidders to continue
many developments in the art market. In recent years olution images, so that viewers can obtain a realistic to participate. In this way, the online bidding will close-
the Internet has played an ever greater role in many impression of the objects. ly resemble a classic saleroom auction. Successful
people’s daily lives, both bidders will receive
as a source of infor- invoices by email at
mation and as a sales the end of the auc-
channel. The popularity tion; payments can
of e-commerce offers be made by credit
considerable opportu- card or bank trans-
nities for the future of fer.
auctions, benefitting
both our consignors and Koller is proud to
our increasingly global announce this de-
clientele. The volume velopment, which
of online art trans- promises to become
actions worldwide an exciting comple-
is estimated to be ment to our classic
several billion dollars saleroom auctions.
a year. Younger “digi-
tal native” collectors
in particular readily
participate in ex-
clusively online
auctions, as they
are used to vir-
tual markets.

Our new online

only auctions
with the “ibid online only” label allow collec-
tors to place their bids over the Internet during a peri-
od of approximately two weeks, around the clock and
from almost anywhere in the world. This type of plat-
form is especially well-suited to decorative artworks
from all periods in the lower to middle market.
On the Koller website, all “ibid online only” auctions are
Bidders who wish to
view items in person in our saleroom can do so; the
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group together selected items in order to bid on them
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22
 A view of the June 2018 preview
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23
Auctions
3 December Asian Art: Himalaya, China
4 December Asian Art: Japan, India, Southeast Asia & Persia
4 December Photography
5 December Jewellery, Watches
6 December Design, Art Nouveau & Art Deco
7 December Impressionist & Modern Art, Swiss Art
8 December PostWar & Contemporary,
Prints & Multiples

Koller ibid online only

14 November Wine
Bidding opens: 29 October
4 December Asian Art
Bidding opens: 15 November
11 December Silver
11 December Fashion & Vintage
12 December Design: The Danese Collection
12 December Furniture & Design of the 20th C.
13 December Swiss Paintings
13 December Paintings & Prints of the 20th and 21st. C.
Bidding opens: 26 November

Previews
Zurich:
Wed. 28 November to Sun. 2 December 2018, 10am to 6pm
Thu. 29 November, 10am to 9pm
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Tue. 27 November 2018, 6:30pm: A lecture will be given by
Rudolf Koella: “Sunsets by Vallotton and Dietrich”, to be followed by
a cocktail reception. Reservations are required.
.

Geneva (Highlights):
10 – 12 November 2018
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Vernissage: 10 November 2018, 12pm – 2pm

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16 – 19 November 2018
Maximiliansplatz 20, 80333 Munich
Vernissage: 16 November 2018, 6pm – 8pm

Appraisal Events
Old Master & 19th Century Paintings
Munich: 15 – 16 November 2018
Brussels: 21 – 22 November 2018
Stuttgart: 26 – 27 November 2018
Appointments for estimates and consignments can be made
at any time.

Consignments
First semester 2019
March 2019 Old Master & 19th Century Paintings,
Drawings & Prints, Fine Furniture, Silver,
Carpets, Porcelain, Jewellery,
Books & Autographs
Consignment deadline: mid-January

May 2019 Asian Art: Himalaya, China, Japan,

India, Southeast Asia & Persia
Consignment deadline: mid-March

June 2019 Modern & Contemporary Art,

Swiss Art, Watches, Jewellery, Design,
Art Nouveau & Art Déco, Photography.
 Consignment deadline: mid-April

Please contact us sufficiently in advance of the deadlines.

24