Thunersee mit Stockhornkette im Winter by Ferdinand Hodler
Sotherby's
A painting of Lake Thun by Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler has been sold for CHF4.3 million ($4.35 million) during an auction that fetched almost CHF8 million for a range of classic and contemporary Swiss art.
Sothebys said it was their best haul for a single auction of Swiss art for three years, bringing their total sales in this category to more than CHF13 million so far this year.
Hodler’s ‘Thunersee mit Stockhornkette im Winter’ (Lake Thun with the Stockhorn mountain in winter) was the star of the auction, being snapped up for an international collection. Hodler (1853-1918) is one of Switzerland’s most famous artists. A previous work, ‘Lac Léman vu de Saint-Prex’ (Lake Geneva from Saint-Prex), went for CHF10.9 million in 2007.
The ‘Swiss Art/Swiss Made’ auction also included works from artists who have been inspired by Switzerland, such as ‘Schneeberge mit Skiläufern’ (Snowy mountains with skiers), painted in 1928 by German artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. This painting fetched CHF1.2 million at auction on Tuesday evening.
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Hodler masterpiece smashes sale record
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“Lac Léman vu de Saint-Prex” (Lake Geneva from Saint-Prex), painted in 1901, was sold to an anonymous bidder at Sotheby’s on Tuesday evening. The painting had been expected to fetch SFr4-6 million. The previous record for a Hodler painting was SFr5.7 million, set by “Thunersee mit Stockhornkette” also in Zurich in December 2006. “Ferdinand Hodler’s…
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The oil painting Turnstunde in Ins (physical education lesson in Ins), which Anker painted in 1879, was sold to an unnamed bidder. The value of the painting had been estimated at between CHF3.5 million and CHF5.5 million. Worldwide, none of Anker’s paintings has ever sold for such a high price, according to auctioneer Cyril Koller.…
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