The dealer, collector and researcher, who was a friend of various 20th century big-name artists, died on Thursday in Bern, his gallery said.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/dos
Kornfeld was born in Basel and began his career as a trainee in a Bern auction house, before taking it over in 1951 and re-baptising it Galerie Kornfeld. It would become one of the most renowned addresses in the world for high-quality auctions, the German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaperwrote.
Over the years Kornfeld amassed a vast collection. Especially passionate about printmaking, he was a leading authority on and collector of Rembrandt’s etchings, almost all of which he bequeathed to Basel’s Fine Arts Museum. His gallery also published a comprehensive catalogue of the etchings of Paul Klee.
Through his life he developed personal ties with artists including Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Alberto Giacometti, Jean Tinguely, and Niki de Saint Phalle.
Kornfeld also interacted with the controversial German dealer Cornelius Gurlitt, whose collection was transferred to Bern’s Fine Arts Museum in 2014, and which has since come under scrutiny as to its origins.
In 2011 Kornfeld was granted honorary citizenship of Bern; he had previously been awarded an honorary doctorate by the city’s university. He was named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by France in 1991, and was awarded Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1984.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss museum examines collection of Nazi-era art dealer
This content was published on
"Taking stock means being accountable" - Bern's museum of fine arts is holding an exhibition on the controversial Gurlitt art collection.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.