Zurich, 25 June 2019 – Celebrating 40 years of Swiss Art sales at Sotheby’s, this evening’s auction, Swiss Art / Swiss Made in Zurich was led by Ferdinand Hodler’s masterful and painterly portrait of Emma Schmidt-Müller (left), which sold on behalf of a Swiss non-profit foundation for CHF 1,340,000 / EUR 1,203,162.

Among the other main highlights of the sale was Félix Vallotton’s ethereal landscape, Bord de Seine à Tournedos, effet gris, which soared above its high estimate to sell for CHF 956,000 / EUR 858,375. Works of 19th-century painting from the Asbjorn Lunde Collection also stood out, led by Alexandre Calame’s majestic Torrent de montagne par orage, 1850, another work which sold in excess of the pre-sale estimate for CHF 200,000 / EUR 179,576.

Participation in the sale hailed from 25 countries, reflecting the increasing international interest for Swiss Art from beyond the country’s borders. The total for the sale was CHF 5,101,688 / EUR 4,580,713

Speaking after the sale, Stéphanie Schleining, Head of Swiss Art, commented, “As we mark four decades of Swiss Art sales at Sotheby’s, I am delighted with this evening’s result, which confirms the global appeal of high-quality works from Switzerland. It is a privilege for me to meet collectors both here on my doorstep and as far afield as Asia and the United States, who share a passionate understanding of Swiss Art.”