ZURICH.- Of the 470 works of modern and contemporary art which came under the hammer during
Koller’s auctions on 8 and 9 December, 80% found buyers. The total result of 8 million Swiss francs exceeded the total of low estimates by 15%. Bidders in the standing-room-only saleroom competed with numerous telephone bidders, as well as online bidders who were often active into the five figures.
With a result of CHF 222 500 (EUR 190 000), Roy Lichtenstein’s colour relief print “Thinking Nude, State I” (lot 3731) became the highest-priced print from this series ever to be sold at auction. The successful bidder for a work on paper by Mark Tobey, “Blue Interval” (lot 3414) was spontaneously applauded by the saleroom after a long bidding war ended at CHF 140 900 (EUR 121 000), more than 12 times the pre-sale estimate. A Chinese collector won the bidding for two works by an important representative of Lyrical Abstraction, Chu The-Chun (lots 3461 and 3462). The paintings were acquired directly from the artist in 1987, and reached CHF 240 000 (EUR 206 000) and CHF 264 000 (EUR 227 000).
The top lot of the Impressionist and Modern Art auction was Max Beckmann’s landscape, “Waldgracht mit Segeln” (Canal in the woods with sailboats) (lot 3228). Painted in 1932 during the artist’s exile in Amsterdam, it was shortly thereafter purchased from the important dealer Günther Franke by the parents of the present consignors (CHF 500 000 / EUR 430 000). From the same excellent provenance, an expressivefigurative work by Ernst Wilhelm Nay, “Das Duett” (lot 3258) more than tripled its pre-sale estimate at CHF 360 000 (EUR 310 000). An impressionistic landscape by Gustave Loiseau (lot 3212) also tripled its estimate, selling to a German collector for CHF 240 000 (EUR 206 000). The CHF 300 500 (EUR 258 000) paid for “Corbeille de mandarines et bananes” by Felix Vallotton (lot 3057) was one of the highest at auction for a still life by this artist, nicely rounding off the excellent results of this auction series.
Further Highlights
• Lot 3461 CHU TEH-CHUN Untitled. 1987. Oil on canvas. 73 x 92 cm. Estimate: CHF 200 000 / 300 000 Auction Result: CHF 240 500
• Lot 3462 CHU TEH-CHUN Untitled. 1987. Oil on canvas. 73 x 92 cm. Estimate: CHF 200 000 / 300 000 Auction Result: CHF 264 500
• Lot 3258 ERNST WILHELM NAY Das Duett. 1946. Oil on canvas. 56 x 79 cm. Estimate: CHF 100 000 / 150 000 Auction Result: CHF 360 500
• Lot 3259 JOAN MIRÓ Femme aux 3 cheveux, constellation. July 26th 1976. Oil on canvas. 27 x 19 cm. Estimate: CHF 200 000 / 250 000 Auction Result: CHF 240 500
• Lot 3049 GIACOMETTI, GIOVANNI Portrait of a girl, Circa 1910. Oil on canvas. 27 x 24,5 cm. Estimate: CHF 90 000 / 140 000 Auction Result: CHF 102 500
• Lot 3617 PAUL KLEE Hoffmanneske Szene. 1921. Colour Lithograph. 35 x 26,5 cm Estimate: CHF 12 000 / 18 000 Auction Result: CHF 19 700
• Lot 3651 PABLO PICASSO Visage de femme. 1953. Plate. Ceramic with painting. 39 x 32 cm Estimate: CHF 12 000 / 18 000 Auction Result: CHF 29 300
• Lot 3414 MARK TOBEY Blue Interval. 1969/70. Tempera on Paper. 65,5 x 50,7 cm. Estimate: CHF 10 000 / 15 000 Auction Result: CHF 140 900
• Lot 3429 JOHANNES ITTEN Zweiklang. 1964. Oil on canvas. 60 x 60 cm. Estimate: CHF 30 000 / 50 000 Auction Result: CHF 102 500
