KOLLER VIEW 4/22

INTER 20 Karoline Weser is Koller Auctions’ Department Head for Old Master Paintings A clear view of Old Masters Dirck van Baburen (1595–1624). Offering to Ceres. Circa 1621. Sold for CHF 1.4million (September 2022) When did you join Koller? After studying art history at the Rheinische Fridrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Bonn and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, I worked in the London art and auction market. Since 2006 I have been responsible for Old Master and 19 th Century Paintings at Koller Auctions in Zurich. Do you have a particularly memorable experience from your time at Koller? One of my first unforgettable moments was when I was asked to do an appraisal and discovered an early still life by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (1573–1621) from 1608 in the parlour of a rural home. It had been in the same family since the 19 th century and was particularly appreciated by them for its fine quality. The painting eventually became the most expensive Old Master painting to be sold in Switzerland and the artist’s top result at the time. In addition to its quality, a work of art can inspire collectors in different ways: because of its prove- nance, illustrious previous owners or its freshness to the market. What does an ‘Old Master’ ideally need to bring to the table in order to arouse the interest of the buying public? It’s ideal when all these factors come together, as we have seen most recently with the Allegory of patience by Giovanni Maria Butteri (1540–1606). Yet surely artistic quality is the best argument for a successful sale. This was evident, for example, Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (1573–1621). Flower still life. 1608. Oil on copper. 26 × 18.1 cm. Sold for CHF 5.77million (September 2008) Angelika Kauffmann (1741–1807). Dido at the stake, invoking the gods. Oil on copper. 32.5 × 26.5 cm. Sold for CHF 85 000 (September 2022) with the Fish Market by Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568–1625), consigned to us from a Swiss estate, which sold very well in March 2022.