ZURICH.- A dramatic masterpiece by Matthias Stomer depicting the Supper at Emmaus is one of the numerous important works to be offered on 20 September. Stomer, one of the most important Dutch painters active in Italy in the first half of the 17th century, was an early follower of Caravaggio, and the master’s influence is clearly visible in the chiaroscuro and powerful lighting employed in this work. In a private Swiss collection since the early 1990s, it will now be offered for CHF 300 000 / 500 000 (lot 3020). Clara Peeters was a pioneer of the hunting still life and one of the most influential female artists of her time. Her still life with a peregrine falcon and its prey is witness to the popularity that falconry enjoyed among the nobility in the early 17th century, and a magnificent example of Peeter’s work (lot 3027, CHF 300 000 / 500 000).

The Old Masters auction will also feature a fascinating, multi-figured depiction of a village celebration of the feast of St George by Marten van Cleve the Elder (lot 3012, CHF 250 000 / 350 000), magnificent floral still lifes by Nicolaes van Verendael (lot 3055, CHF 70 000 / 100 000) and Cornelis de Heem (lot 3044, CHF 80 000 / 120 000), and a splendid 14th-century altarpiece by Tuscan painter Tommaso del Mazza (lot 3001, CHF 150 000 / 250 000).

Among the 19th Century Paintings is a rare oil painting by Honoré Daumier depicting a shadowy Parisian attorney (lot 3244, CHF 150 000 / 200 000). Daumier was known for his biting criticism of contemporary society, and his low opinion of the French system of justice is clearly rendered here. The work has an impressive provenance, possibly beginning with the artist Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, as well as an extensive exhibition history.

The Decorative Arts auction on 19 September features a private collection of early Meissen porcelain which was recently rediscovered in a villa on Lake Geneva, including some rare pieces with Chinoiserie decoration à la Horöldt (lots 1109 to 1130). A small private collection of Baroque sculpture as well as an ivory sculpture collection are also very noteworthy chapters in the auction.

Among the Books & Autographs offered on 18 September are several magnificent volumes from the fields of Science and Natural History, such as John Gould’s “The Birds of New Guinea” (lot 4140, CHF 50 000 / 80 000), and “A monograph of … humming-birds” (lot 4139, CHF 50 000 / 80 000), both with wonderfully executed illustrations, coloured with Gould’s own technique which faithfully replicate the shimmering tones of the subjects’ feathers.