KOLLER VIEW 3/24

01 our view. KOLLERview is published four times annually, in English, French and German. Edition: 30 000 Next issue: October 2024 Texts: Dr Tilo Richter Layout: Laura Koller, Nicole Bloch & Jennifer Mischke Design Concept: Nina Germann & Laura Koller Translations: Karl Green Photography: Koller Auctions Ltd pre view. September auctions PP. 3–15 re view. June auctions PP. 16–19 over view. Contacts P. 19 calendar view. Dates P. 20 Matthias Stomer: P. 5 Edition 03/ 2024 The interest in the scientific, empirical observation of nature that emerged in the 16 th and 17 th centuries is also evident in the paintings of this period. Artists studied and depicted the characteristics of flowers, human societies and landscapes, which can be seen in the excellently painted flower still life by Nicolaes van Verendael, in the depiction of a village festival by Jan Steen, and in the landscape by Abraham Govaerts (pp. 6–7). In addition to works from the Golden Age of Dutch painting, outstanding early works from the 14 th and 15 th centuries will be featured in our Old Masters auction (pp. 4–5). Honoré Daumier did not have a favourable opinion of the legal system or the government of his time, and his caricature of the ‘Citizen King’ Louis-Philippe earned him a sentence of six months in prison. Freely expressing his opinion of the ruling authorities of the time, be they political or social, was often fraught with danger. This didn’t prevent Daumier, however, from producing critical works, often with biting humour (pp. 8–9). Koller is one of the few auction houses which still enthusiastically organises sales of high-quality furniture and exquisite decorative objects from the 18 th century. Although the current fashion does not favour these styles, the works themselves remain of outstanding quality and design – creating an opportunity to acquire craftsmanship of the highest calibre at comparatively affordable prices. Our Decorative Arts auction, for example, features a group of particularly beautiful sculptures and carvings (pp. 10–11). The importance of the knowledge and learning bound between covers in previous centuries is reflected in the high quality of the typeface and the artistically impressive illustra- tions often present in antique volumes. Many such works will be offered in our Books & Autographs auction (pp. 12–13). The excellent results of our June auctions are reflected in some of the highlights presented in these pages. Our highly successful early summer auctions have once again demonstrated that reasonable estimates lead to better results than excessively optimistic ones, which primarily please the consignor, but make interested parties reluctant to bid (pp. 16–19). We look forward to your visit. Yours, Cyril Koller Dear Reader,