Koller View 2/20

8 in Oschwand for many years, until he eventually sold it to collector Willy Russ-Young in 1928. The work, which had been widely published by means of an old black- and-white photograph, was long considered lost and was only recently rediscovered. Preview of the Swiss Art auction on 3 July 2020 View to infinity FerdinandHodler'smonumental latework "Blick ins Un- endliche" (View to Infinity) is a milestone in the history of modern Swiss art. Originally conceived as a mural for the Zurich Kunsthaus and created between 1913 and 1916, it was acquired by the Basel Kunstmuseum in 1927. It was not on view for many years, and has been back on permanent display since 2016. In addition to the original which measures almost 50 square metres, Hodler made numerous smaller studies of this subject, which shows five full-length figures in blue dresses en- gaged in a sort of round dance. Alongside the women’s bodies and the symmetrical composition, the women’s faces are essential to the design of this work. They look into the distance, directing the viewers' gaze from the picture into infinity. Hodler made a se- ries of head studies (ill. 4) that, with their detailed form and vivid colouration, have become stand-alone works of art that both document the artist’s process and contain a powerful force of their own. Albert Anker's "Girl with Christmas Pre- sents" (ill. 3) is one of a large number of subjects from everyday rural life in his home village of Ins. Thanks to Anker's ability to capturemoods in subtly chosen colours, the joy of the gifts just received is literally "written all over” the young girl's face. Cuno Amiet painted "Mother and Child" just before the turn of the 20th century, and one year after he and his wife Anna married and moved to Oschwand. The work was painted on commission for the art collector Richard Kisling, who re- turned it a short time later, as conserva- tion problems were already apparent in the upper part of the canvas. The artist reworked the defective section and the painting hung in the Amiets' dining room 1 2 3