Modern art fetches record prices

A sale of paintings by major modern artists has achieved record results at a Swiss auction.

Works by Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Klee were among seven items sold above the million franc mark in the auction of 19th and 20th century art at the Kornfeld gallery in Bern.

Marc Chagall’s La Joie au Cirque (Happiness at the circus) fetched the highest price of the sale at SFr1.85 million ($1.82 million), followed by Georges Braque’s Nature Morte au Grand Vase (Still life with large vase), which sold for SFr1.8 million.

A total of ten Chagall works were on sale, with Couple au Circle (Couple at the circus) going for SFr1.6 million.

Van Gogh’s Die Näherin beim Fenster (Woman sewing by the window) sold for SFr1.55 million, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s Wettertannen (Fir trees) for SFr1.3 million and Paul Klee’s Exotische Flusslandschaft (Exotic riverscape) for SFr1.25 million.

Ferdinand Hodler’s Die Saane im Pays d’Enhaut bei Rossinière (The River Sarine near Rossière), one of several works by the artist for sale, fetched SFr1 million.

A spokesman for the gallery said the sale, which had bids totalling more than SFr30 million, was one of the best results in the history of Swiss auctions.