GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.-Sotheby's autumn sale of Swiss art will be held in Zurich on Tuesday November 29, 2005. Among the pieces on offer, L'Eiger, le Mönch et la Jungfrau avec mer de brouillard painted in 1908 by Ferdinand Hodler is expected to fetch more than 2,5 million Swiss francs. This painting featured in the Ferdinand Hodler, The landscape exhibition in Geneva and Zurich last year. Today's sale represents a unique occasion to acquire a masterpiece worthy of a museum, which was painted by a one of the most famous Swiss artists. In May 2005, Paysage près de Chateau-d'Oex, by the same artist, sold for nearly two million Swiss francs at Sotheby's Zurich. This autumn, the 150 lots sale, includes all the important names in Swiss art. There are works by Albert Anker, Cuno Amiet, Adolf Dietrich, Robert Zünd, Augusto and Giovanni Giacometti, Gottardo Segantini, Alexandre Calame and Félix Vallotton, to name but a few. A selection will be exhibited to the public in Basel, Geneva and Zurich before their sale on November 29.

This painting is a superb representation of one of the most impressive rock formations of the Swiss Alps, hidden by a sea of fog from which emerge the snowy summits of the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau. As of 1908, the year in which he painted L'Eiger, le Mönch et la Jungfrau avec mer de brouillard, Hodler stayed on several occasions at the Schynigen Platte in the Bernese Oberland from where he freely observed these three magnificent summits. Around 1910, he gained further interest in the representation of the Bernese Alps and focused his work on the contrast between the compact composition and dissolution of shapes. This work of art is one of the most important representations of summits that Ferdinand Hodler has ever created. The harshness of the composition, the audacity of the colours and the unique atmosphere created by the clouds gives the impression of a timeless landscape. Given that today most land is inhabited, these intact and wild landscapes gain in mystery. They almost become symbols of eternity.

L'Eiger, le Mönch et la Jungfrau avec mer de brouillard featured in about 15 exhibitions around the world, from Tokyo to New York as well as in Geneva (Rath Museum) and in Zurich (Kunsthaus) in 2004 during an exhibition that was dedicated to landscapes created by the artist.

Zwei Kinder mit Schiefertafel demonstrates once again that Albert Anker is clearly the most emblematic Swiss portraitist of the 20th Century. The individualism of his models was one of his main preoccupations. However, his subjects' emotions sometimes come across with intensity, just like in this masterpiece that will be offered at auction. Created in 1882, this painting represents the Inser children who regularly came to visit the artist. They are always represented as concentrated and absorbed by their tasks. They were rarely captured whilst playing or having fun. Estimated at CHF600'000-800'000, this painting is one of Albert Anker's most beautiful and sensitive works on this theme.

The 20th Century is also represented by Alexandre Calame with two magnificent landscapes. The first, Lac des Quatre-Cantons près de Brunnen dated from 1857, is estimated at CHF60'000-80'000. The second, Mont-Blanc, shows Lake Geneva with a view on the French Alps. It was painted in 1854 and is estimated at CHF40'000-50'000. Also of note are paintings by Robert Zünd, among them Rigirotfluh und Vierwaldstättersee, 1857 (estimate: CHF80'000-120'000) and Blick auf Luzern vom Stollberg (estimate: CHF140'000-180'000).

Augusto Giacometti, Bilder (1937) - By Augusto Giacometti is Bilder, painted in 1937. In this representation of his studio, we can observe, on the walls and floor, pieces of art that demonstrate his work. Not only do these pieces show us his artistic maturity, but they help us understand the creative path of one of the most important Swiss artists. This painting which bursts with colours is estimated at CHF500'000-800'000.

Gottardo Segantini is also present in this sale with a winter landscape from 1959, Malojersee, estimated at CHF 120'000-150'000. Many magnificent paintings and aquarelles by Cuno Amiet, of which a very luminous piece, Bäume im Sommer, from 1944 is estimated at CHF 120'000-180'000. By Adolf Dietrich is Buntspechte from 1937, considered one of the artist's most interesting bird paintings and estimated at CHF 60'000-80'000.