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2 Dear Readers, 2020 proved to be an exceptionally good year for our auctions. Although consignments were somewhat slow to arrive due to lockdowns, border closures and quarantine obligations, the works entrusted to us sold ex- tremely well. Both the prices realised and the percentage sold were excel- lent – a very clear sign that the demand for art remains high (see Review, pp. 12–17). It is equally gratifying that this good news does not only con- cern modern and contemporary art. Art movements that had been gen- erally considered as ‘passé’ experienced one revival after another last year. Provided they were of high quality, altarpieces from the 15 th century, silver from the 17 th century and porcelain groups from the 18 th century sold just as well as modern & contemporary works. Our upcoming Old Master Paintings auction features a portrait by Titian, a giant of Italian Renaissance art (see cover illustration). Painted around the middle of the 16 th century as a friendship portrait, it once belonged to the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. This portrait was apparently known to both Rubens and Van Dyck, as it seems to have inspired two of their works: OUR view. P. 2 Editorial PRE view. P. 3–11 & 18–20 Preview March 2021 auctions RE view. P. 12– 17 Review December 2020 auctions OVER view. P. 19 Contacts CALENDAR view. P. 20 Cover ill.: Titian (1485/1490–1576). Portrait of a nobleman. Oil on canvas. 93.5 × 73.4 cm. Estimate: CHF 800 000/1 200 000 Old Master Paintings auction, 26 March 2021 All auction results include buyer’s premium. 1 CHF = € .93 (as of 12 February 2021) KOLLERview is published four times annually, in English and German. Edition: 20 000 copies. Next issue: June 2021. Texts: Dr Tilo Richter Layout: Laura Koller Translations: Karl Green Photos: Koller Auctions Ltd Rubens’s famous early ‘Self-Portrait in the Circle of His Mantuan Friends’ of 1602 (Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne) and van Dyck’s ‘Self-Portrait with Endymion Porter’ of 1635 (Museo del Prado, Madrid). Another important painting in theMarch auction dates from the time when the young Anthony van Dyck was working in Rubens’s studio: ‘Saint Je- rome’, a freely rendered oil study which underlines the painterly brilliance of van Dyck precisely because it was not a conventional commissioned work, but a painting for private use (p. 7). On the following pages, you will find a further selection of attractive and engaging works from our upcoming auctions. All auction catalogues can be viewed online on our website. Please contact us if you have any ques- tions about specific works of art. Yours, Cyril Koller If the coronavirus measures issued by the Swiss authorities frommid-March allow, all objects can be viewed at our premises on the Hardturmstrasse in Zurich during our official preview hours or by individual appointment. If you would like to attend our saleroom auctions in person, we urge you to make a reservation early, as the number of seats is strictly limited. Alternatives to attending in person include participating by telephone and livestream on- line bidding. For entry into Switzerland, please note the currently valid regulations. You will find a link to these on our website: www.kollerauctions.com . Our specialists will also be happy to advise you personally via correspondence or telephone if you cannot attend in person.