ZURICH.- Monday's, Sotheby’s Zurich Swiss Art sale was led by Giovanni Giacometti’s stunning landscape, Winterlanschaft bei Capolago (Winter Landscape near Capolago) which fetched CHF 434.500 (€361.073). Carefully curated, the auction comprised Swiss artworks from the 19th century to the present day and brought a total of CHF 3.065.275 (€2.547.265).

Commenting on the sale's results, Urs Lanter, Head of Sotheby’s Swiss Art Department declared: “Monday's auction celebrated the richness and diversity of Swiss creation from the 19th century until present day. We are delighted that collectors responded with enthusiasm to the selection. The results achieved by leading figures of Swiss classical painting such as Giovanni Giacometti demonstrate the continuous demand for works of great rarity and top quality, coming from important collections”.

Stéphanie Schleining Deschanel, Director of Sotheby’s Geneva Swiss Art Department added: “A further highlight of the sale was the section dedicated to contemporary art, which realised solid results for works by renowned artists, such as Meret Oppenheim and Jean Tinguely”.

CLASSICAL WORKS
Strong results were achieved for important works by eminent figures of Swiss artistic creation of the 19th and 20th centuries. Among them was the Master of Swiss impressionism Giovanni Giacometti (1868-1933). Painted in 1930, his oil on canvas Winterlanschaft bei Capolago (Winter Landscape near Capolago) achieved CHF 434.500 (€361.073) (lot 17, est. CHF 400.000-600.000/ €331.000-496.000).

Cuno Amiet, “the man who makes the world’s wonders blossom” was present in the sale with Kindertoilette (Child’s Bathing), an oil on canvas dating from 1910 sold for CHF 314.500 (€261.352) (lot 32, est. CHF 300.000-500.000/ €248.000-413.000). Another work by Amiet - a magnificent work featuring his wife, Anna surrounded by flowers - raised a lot of interest tonight. Dating from 1926, Frau mit Blumen – Anna Amiet mit Blumen (Lady with flowers - Anna Amiet with flowers) fetched CHF 134.500 (€111.770). (lot 44, est. CHF 120.000-160.000/ €99.500-133.000). It was exhibited alongside 37 other works by the painter at the Swiss Pavilion of the Venice Biennale in 1934.

Feliix Vallotton (1865-1925) was represented by a stunning “composed” landscape, a technique developed by the artist to render the impression of a place rather than its reality. Souvenir de Romanel (Souvenir from Romanel). Painted in 1900, this oil on cartoon achieved CHF 242.500 (€201.519) (lot 72, est. CHF 200.000-250.000/ €166.000-207.000).

Once again, Albert Anker (1831-1910) generated a lot of interest, with a series of watercolours. Painted in 1908, Bauer am Tisch sitzend, Rückenansicht (Old man sitting at a table, shown from behind) realised CHF 158.500 (€131.715), five times the low estimate (Lot 9, est. CHF 30.000-50.000/ €24.800-41.300).

An auction recordwas established for a work by Sigismund Righini (1870-1937), when Frau mit Haut (Lady with a hat) a 1909 oil on canvas realised CHF 76.900 (€63.904) (Lot 28, est. CHF 8.000-12.000/ €6.700-10.000).

SWISS ART, FROM THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20th CENTURY TO PRESENT DAY
The auction was further distinguished by works signed by illustrious artists from the second half of the 20th century which generate great enthusiasm among collectors.

2013 will mark the 100th anniversary of Meret Oppenheim (1913-1985) - the leading figure of Swiss surrealism. While the Kunstmuseum in Bern is currently celebrating the artist, the sale included Zwei Vögel (Two birds). Made in 1963, this magnificent work realised CHF 98.500 (€81.854) (lot 99, est. CHF 80.000-120.000/ €66.500-99.500).

Meret Oppenheim inspired many contemporary artists, including Luciano Castelli (b. 1951) who made a brilliant portrait of her in 2000. This large oil on canvas sold for CHF 27.500 (€22.853) (lot 102, est. CHF 20.000-30.000/ €16.600-24.800).

SCULPTURE
Swiss sculpture took centre-stage, with a group of contemporary works by leading figures in the discipline.

Maquette Mobile, a fine example of the iron sculptures made by Robert Müller (b. in 1920) between 1953 and 1956, shortly after his installation in Paris fetched CHF 74.500 (€61.910) (lot 93, est. CHF 60.000-80.000/ €49.600-66.500). Described by Harald Szeemann as “a unique and increasingly rare demonstration of what is understood as a continuous artistic development” on the occasion of the exhibition dedicated to Müller at the Kunsthalle, Bern in 1965, the artist’s oeuvre has today found its place in important private and institutional collections of 20th century art .

A testimony of the rich collaboration between Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely, Nana dansante (Dancing Nana) realised CHF 50.000 (€41.550) (lot 100, est. CHF 20.000-30.000/ €16.600-24.800). Dating from 1976, the work combines the fun and spiritual refinement of Tinguely’s mechanics with the iconic personage of “Nana”.