ZURICH.- Switzerland’s natural beauty and the nation’s historical heritage will take centre stage at Sotheby’s sale of Swiss Art in Zurich on 2 June. The spring event will showcase important works by masters of Swiss painting, celebrating the country’s majesty and its age-old traditions. The sale will be led by “the Giacometti dynasty” – offering connoisseurs a group of fascinating examples of the work of Augusto, Giovanni and Alberto Giacometti. The upcoming auction will also include significant paintings by Albert Anker, Félix Vallotton, Cuno Amiet and François Bocion.

Urs Lanter, head of Sotheby’s Swiss Art department comments : “For our June sale, we have carefully selected a group of works which illustrate Switzerland’s fine artistic tradition. Affection for one’s country and its traditions can be expressed a thousand ways: from an intimate scene of family life by Albert Anker, to the preparatory drawings for Augusto Giacometti’s celebrated mural mosaic depicting victorious soldiers returning from battle.”

Stéphanie Schleining-Deschanel, Specialist for Sotheby’s Swiss Art Department in Geneva, adds, “We are very pleased to offer emblematic works by three members of the Giacometti family. This ‘dynasty’ is the embodiment of both Swiss tradition and success on the international stage.”

SWISS LANDSCAPES AND HERITAGE
« The Giacometti Dynasty »
The most celebrated family in Swiss art history will be spotlighted on the 2nd of June, thanks to a striking group of 15 works.

The peaceful beauty of the idyllic Bregaglia valley – birthplace of the family – is captured in a fascinating landscape by Giovanni Giacometti. In his use of colour, contrasting the pink and green tones of spring with the still-snowy peaks and hardly-visible sky, the painter underlines the remoteness of the valley, while at the same time the long straight road reminds the viewer that these valleys are also historic ties between Switzerland and Italy, and the North and South of Europe (LOT 22, Giovanni Giacometti, Brugnetta / Der einsame Berghof, estimate: CHF 500,000 – 600,000 / € 478,000 – 575,000).

Giovanni’s second cousin, Augusto Giacometti, will also take pride of place in the sale, thanks to a group of no fewer than 12 exceptional works. These include a stunning watercolour which also celebrates the natural heritage of this valley in Graubünden. The ‘master of colour’ brings to life the crispness of autumn in this luminous work of symbolism, which tends towards abstraction, demonstrating his talent through exquisite decorative touches. The painting featured in the exhibition “Die Farbe und ich” at the Kunstmuseum in Bern in 2014 (LOT 21, Augusto Giacometti, Herbstwald (La Motta, Coltura), estimate: CHF 70,000 – 90,000 / € 67,000 – 86,000).

A group of seven works on paper by Augusto Giacometti (detail below) depicts the return of victorious soldiers following the battle of Sempach – a key event in the history of the Swiss Confederation. These works show the artist’s preparation for the mosaic which can be seen in the courtyard of the Swiss National Museum in Zurich (LOT 54, Augusto Giacometti, Heimkehr der Sieger von Sempach, estimate CHF 100,000 – 120,000 / € 96,000 – 115,000).

Alberto Giacometti, the most famous member of the dynasty, whose reputation extends the furthest beyond Switzerland’s borders, will also stand out at the event in June. A fascinating oil work shows the early artistic expression of this giant of the 20th century, revealing the influence of his father and reminding us that, despite being best-known for his bronze sculptures, Alberto Giacometti retained a passion for painting and still lives throughout his life (LOT 41, Alberto Giacometti, Stillleben mit Kartoffeln, 1924, estimate : CHF 400,000 – 450,000 / € 383,000 – 430,000).

Albert Anker – Das Lied der Heimat
A stunning painting by Albert Anker, whose name is synonymous with Switzerland, will be offered in the spring sale. This delightful work captures a charming scene of family life: a young girl plays the piano and sings a traditional song, as her brother and elder relative look on. The captivating canvas brings together the elements which, for Anker, lay at the heart of his country’s values: family, customs and the simple pleasures of country life. But the painting also reveals another value close to Anker’s heart : the 19th century Swiss tradition of providing shelter to those in need. The members of this family are in fact exiles from Poland, who had taken refuge in Switzerland to escape political turmoil (LOT 12, Albert Anker, Das Lied der Heimat, 1874, estimate : CHF 1,900,000 – 2,200,000 / € 1,820,000 – 2,110,000).

François Bocion – Rivaz, 1880
The theme of nature and the majesty of the Swiss landscape are centrally important in the country’s art history. In the 19th century, François Bocion took his place alongside Alexandre Calame and Robert Zünd, and shared their love of nature. The Zurich sale will offer a majestic work by the masterly Lausanne-born artist, setting the scene on the shores of Lake Geneva and looking towards the Alps. Through the composition of the work, we see the artist’s desire to capture in paint the atmosphere and light, the beauty of the place, which was to be a favoured subject throughout his life (LOT 5, François Bocion, Rivaz, 1880, estimate : CHF 80,000 – 100,000 / € 76,500 – 96,000).

Cuno Amiet – Blumen und Äpfel, 1909
Just like Giovanni Giacometti, Cuno Amiet discovered Paris in his youth, but returned to Switzerland, and would spend most of his life in the village of Oschwand. Throughout Anker’s life, the use of colour was a key element of his work, and the themes of nature, fruit and flowers recur throughout his oeuvre. The June sale will present a stunning example featuring these motifs: a stilllife where the abundant organic forms , brought to life in bold brush strokes inspired by van Gogh, contrast with straight horizontal lines (LOT 13, Cuno Amiet, Blumen und Äpfel, 1909, estimate : CHF 200,000 – 300,000 / € 192,000 – 287,000).

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE
Cuno Amiet – Frau under Apfelbaum, 1901
The symbolism present in Cuno Amiet’s work will provide a further highlight in Zurich, thanks to a magnificent portrait, alive with colour. The painting depicts a pregnant woman, in the shade of a tree laden with fruit, showing the artist’s preoccupation after his wife, Anna, tragically lost their child. Fertility and abundance were to become recurring themes for the painter. The work is also reminiscent of the most beautiful symbolist figurative works by Ferdinand Hodler (LOT 26, Cuno Amiet, Frau unter Apfelbaum, 1901, estimate : CHF 80,000 – 120,000 / € 76,500 – 115,000).

Félix Vallotton – La source, 1914
Connoisseurs of the work of Félix Vallotton will no doubt be fascinated by La source, 1914, an allegorical work depicting a Greek myth which appears frequently in art history: the goddess Biblis, who fell in love with her brother, and cried so many tears that she was transformed into a spring. This unconventional work by Vallotton showcases the immense skill of the artist, and his highly innovative interpretation of Greek allegory, showing Biblis huddled and fragile (LOT 27, Félix Vallotton, La source, 1914, estimate : CHF 150,000 – 200,000 / € 144,000 – 192,000).

Louis Soutter – Nous allons périr sur les chemins
The Swiss Art sale will also offer a masterpiece by Louis Soutter (illustrated below). Known as one of the fathers of Outsider Art, Soutter represents a very important link with international modernism, and is among the most sought-after Swiss artists. This very rare finger painting was completed towards the end of the artist’s life – the most coveted period of his output (LOT 60, Louis Soutter, Nous allons périr sur les chemins, estimate: CHF 150,000 – 200,000 CHF / € 144,000 – 192,000).