KOLLER View 1/22

17 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION IMPRESSIONIST & MODERN ART Cyril Koller and Jara Koller jara.koller@kollerauctions.com www.kollerauctions.com How does Koller establish the provenance of the art- works you sell? CK: We check the provenance of the artworks offered to us on the basis of any existing documents, for exam- ple receipts; the latest literature, such as lists of works or exhibition catalogues; the Art Loss Register, the larg- est database of lost or stolen artworks, and Lost Art, a database of art stolen or sold under pressure during the Nazi regime. If we come across inconsistencies, such as a change of ownership of a painting from a Jewish collection during the period between 1933 and 1945, the complexity of further research may lead us to call in a professional provenance researcher. In the case of Max Liebermann’s study of the ‘Net Mending Women’, which was acquired by the Hamburg Kunsthalle in our July 2021 auction, we spent over a year searching for the surviving heirs of the Jewish collector who sold the painting through an art dealer in Switzerland to finance her escape to the United States in 1942. Without the results of our provenance research, the Kunsthalle would not have considered purchasing it. How does the market for Impressionist and Modern art differ from that of Swiss art? And how are they similar? CK: The twomarkets are closely connected, of course, by the fact that the works were often created during the same period. Many of the works offered in our Swiss Art auctions belong to the classical modern movement, and Swiss artists were often influenced by the work of artists in European art centres. The preparations for the two auctions are quite different, however: authenticity clarifications and provenance research are much more complicated and time-con- suming in the field of modern art than in Swiss art. And of course the clientele is very different. Swiss works of art are bought primarily by Swiss collectors, while our Modern Art auctions attract a decidedly international audience. Koller is active worldwide. Where do the majority of buyers for Impressionist andmodern art come from? JK: We sell many works abroad, and there are also sig- nificant collectors and buyers ofmodern art in Switzer- land. The majority of works by German modern artists go to collectors in Switzerland or Germany, while the buyers for French artists are very international: in ad- dition to almost all of the European nations, buyers in America and Asia participate in our sales. Is it still possible today to compose a relevant collection of Impressionist and modern art? CK: It is possible, but it requires time and a quite a bit of money, though not everyone has tohave the equivalent of the Merzbacher Collection (which has been on dis- play in the new building of the Kunsthaus Zurich since the end of last year). You can always find works that are appealing and at the same time good long-term invest- ments. In addition to the big names mentioned earlier, we also offer many fine and decorative works of art by ‘second tier’ artists, better adapted tomodest budgets. What role do women play in the history of modern art? JK: Women artists have experienced a significant re- surgence in recent years. You can see this not only in auction results, but also in current exhibitions, whose focus has shifted considerably. In the past, there were rarely exhibitions of women artists, but today we see them everywhere, such as the recent Meret Oppen- heim show at the Kunstmuseum Bern or at the Fon- dation Beyeler, where various women artists from modernism to the present day were shown in the ‘Close-Up’ exhibition. Among them was Frida Kahlo, currently the subject of a huge buzz, also in the fash- ion and interior design scene. Although works by fe- male Impressionist and modern artists come up less frequently than, say, contemporary artists, impressive works by female artists regularly appear in our sales. For example, on 1 July, we will offer a major work by Käthe Kollwitz, ‘Mother with Two Children’, an expres- sive, monumental bronze sculpture. What recommendations would you give to younger collectors? CK: 1) Only buy from reputable sources and only if you get a guarantee of authenticity with a right of return. 2) Inquire about prices realised for comparable works before you buy, but don't let that limit you too much if the work goes a bit higher at auction. Good art has its price, and people almost always regret giving up too early. 3) Pay attention to the condition of the works. We gladly offer our help for this. You, Cyril Koller, are the second generation to run the auction house and you, Jara Koller, are already part of the third gen- eration that has been active for several years. What is it like to work with your own father / with your own family on a daily basis? JK: Many people ask me that question. Most of the time they com- ment: ‘Isn't it difficult? I could never do that.’ It works out wonderfully for me. My father has a lot of experience and I benefit from his wise advice. We are a good team and if I have ques- tions, am unsure about something or we get a request for a significant piece of work, I am very happy that I can always turn to him. We also get along very well within the family, which certainly makes it easier to work together, also with my sisters and my mother, who work in the Swiss Art, Client Services and Silver departments. CK: I also worked with my father, Pierre Koller, the founder of our auction house, for many years. The weight of responsibility shifted gradually over many years. I am very aware of my privilege to be able to continue building on this foundation of reputation and experience. I would like to pass on tomy daughters the creative freedom that my father gave me back then. Paul Signac. Pont des Arts. 1925. Oil on canvas. 89.3 × 116.5 cm. Sold in 2014 for CHF 5.3 million to a private collection, USA. Kees van Dongen. Rouge et Jaune (L’Égyptienne). 1910–11. Oil on canvas. 100 × 73 cm. Sold in 2018 for CHF 1.7million to a private collection, Germany. Pierre Auguste Renoir. Bord de Seine à Argenteuil. 1880. Oil on canvas. 55 × 65.5 cm. Sold in 2005 for CHF 1.6 million to a private collection, Switzerland. © 2022, ProLitteris, Zurich