ZURICH.- Christie’s announced the forthcoming SwissArt sale, to be held on 16 June 2008. This sale marks the occasion of two anniversaries - the 30th anniversary of the Christie’s regional office in Zurich and the 100th birthday of Max Bill. The Z黵cher Konkrete artist is represented in the sale by a number of important works including the sculpture einheit aus drei gleichen zylindern (estimate: SFr 70,000-90,000), and the painting acht farben im quadrat (estimate: SFr 80,000-120,000). In December 2007 Christie’s SwissArt sale sold Bill’s iconic painting weisses quadrat durch element鋜farben erg鋘zt for SFr 204,000 – over four times it’s pre-sale estimate (SFr 30,000-50,000) – and established a new world record price for a painting by the artist. Christie’s is also one of the main sponsors of the upcoming film by Swiss director Erich Schmid about the life and work of Max Bill, which is due to be released in Autumn 2008.

Comprising 138 lots, the SwissArt sale on 16 June is led by Albert Anker’s Strickendes M鋎chen mit Korb (Knitting girl with basket) (estimate: SFr 800,000-1,200,000). Executed in 1897, the work is an important example of Anker’s portraits of children. As one of the top 19th century painters, Anker was dedicated to the depiction of children – nearly a third of his 600-strong oeuvre are sensible portraits of children. Strickendes M鋎chen demonstrates Anker’s unique technique of drawing the viewer’s attention to an intimate domestic scene by highlighting it with a warm light against a dark background.

Another highlight is a key work by Cuno Amiet: Paradies (estimate: SFr 600,000-800,000) which was executed in 1894/95, shortly after Amiet’s return from Brittany. This painting marks his earliest allegorical depiction of the apple tree, which later becomes a recurrent theme in his oeuvre. In 1900 Amiet executed a second and in 1958 a third version, but neither quite achieve the enchanting brilliance and poetry of the early work.

F閘ix Vallotton is represented within the sale by two impressive landscapes from 1922: Mar閑 basse � Villerville (estimate: SFr 500,000-700,000), painted on the Normandy coast and Pont sur le B閍l (estimate: SFr 200,000-300,000), painted in nearby Cagnes in the Southeast of France. Other important examples of Swiss Modernism offered in this sale include a pastoral scene by Giovanni Giacometti: Hirte mit Schafen (1898, estimate: SFr 500,000-700,000), still life by Augusto Giacometti: Azalee (1912, estimate: SFr 400,000 –600,000) and Frau am Brunnen by Giovanni Segantini (Sch鋞zwert: SFr 180,000 – 250,000). In the strong Post-War and Contemporary art section of this sale works by Hans Arp, Jean Tinguely, Bernhard Luginb黨l, Ugo Rondinone and Daniele Buetti will also be on offer.