KOLLER VIEW 4/22

Pierre-Auguste Renoir From the early 1880s onwards, still life painting occupied a prominent position in the work of Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919). In compositions such as ‘Bouquet de fleurs au pichet de terre’, 1885, he explored the effects of light and colour on objects and surfaces. Renoir said painting flowers was a form of mental relaxation. ‘When I paint flowers, I can boldly experiment with hues without worrying about destroying the whole picture’. Renoir not only explored dec- orative and formal possibilities of pictorial design in his flower still lifes; they also represented a reliable source of income for him, which did not escape the attention of the influential Parisian gallery owner and impresario Paul Durand-Ruel. Besides numerous exhibitions organised by Durand-Ruel, Renoir also exhibited his works at the important salons of the French capital. Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919). Bouquet de fleurs au pichet de terre. 1885. Oil on canvas. 41 × 33.4 cm. Estimate: CHF 200 000/300 000 Corinth’s lake view Lovis Corinth’s late work is dominated by a series of paintings of theWalchensee in Upper Bavaria. In 1918, theGerman artist and his wife Charlotte visited the mountain village of Urfeld for the first time. The dramatic landscape with the impressiveWalchen- see so captivated them that they had a house built there. ‘Night at Walchensee’ offered in our December auction was painted in 1924 and probably shows the view from the Corinths’ terrace. The artist placed a tree at the centre of the composition, block- ing an unobstructed view of the lake. The Walchensee series is a highlight of Corinth’s oeuvre and both thematically and tech- nically shows his development from the Impressionist style of painting towards Expressionism. The work comes from the im- portant collection of Udo and Dora Rukser. A successful lawyer and passionate art collector, Udo Rukser probably acquired this work at an auction held by Leo Grünpeter in Berlin in 1927. Lovis Corinth (1858–1925). Night at Walchensee. 1924. Oil on board. 59 × 73 cm. Estimate: CHF 200 000/300 000 Alcestis’ dance Maurice Denis (1870–1943) refers to Greek mythology in his painting ‘Danses d’Alceste’, circa 1904. The story of Alcestis, daughter of a king and wife of Adme- tus, the king of Pherae, is about her sacrifice: she offered to die in place of her hus- band, whereupon Heracles saved both their lives. The Alcestis myth found artistic expression in a tragedy by the playwright Euripides in 438 BCE, and in the 18 th cen- tury, Georg-Friedrich Händel and Christoph Willibald Gluck set the ancient tale to music. Maurice Denis, co-founder of the artist group ‘Les Nabis’ in 1888/89 and a close companion of Aristide Maillol in the years before the First World War, shows Alcestis in a circle of other dancers in a paradisiacal garden set in a Mediterranean landscape. Maurice Denis (1870–1943). Danses d ’ Alceste, Paysage d ’ Albano. 1904. Oil on canvas. 80 × 108 cm. Estimate: CHF 90 000/120 000 Preview of the Impressionist & Modern Art auction on 2 December 2022 Light, colour, patina 13