KOLLER VIEW 4/24

pre view. 02 15 5 6 4 5 Red reflections in the snow For his large-format oil painting ‘Wintersonne’ (Winter Sun) from 1927, Cuno Amiet – evidently moved by an emotional reaction to the spectacle of nature – chose a dramatic combination of strong colours. The brightly shining sun is surrounded by an orange-red corona that stands out against the dark sky. The snow on the nearby hills is coloured a delicate pink by the sunlight, while the shadowy areas are formulated in cool, light blue tones. With the nearby farmsteads in the middle ground and the mountain ranges looming dimly on the horizon, the artist grants the pictorial space enormous depth. Cuno Amiet (1868–1961). Winter Sun. 1927. Oil on canvas. 80 × 100 cm. Estimate: CHF 160 000/260 000 4 Radiant Light Gottardo Segantini's close connection to nature is evident in a large number of landscape paintings that depict his homeland, the Upper Engadine, at different times of the day and year. The present winter scene shows a view of the Sils plain and the surrounding Al- pine peaks. The cool colours subtly remind the viewer of the ruggedness of the mountains, while at the same time the snow that covers the landscape has a balanc- ing effect. The much-cited ‘silence of the mountains’ has found a painterly equivalent here in Segantini's work. Gottardo Segantini (1882–1974). The Sils plain. 1960. Oil on fibreboard. 82 × 65 cm. Estimate: CHF 80 000/120 000 6 A storm of colour in the studio The vibrant, expressive play of colours in this studio painting by Augusto Giacometti suggests that the art- ist was less concerned with the motif itself – two arm- chairs on an oriental rug and an oil painting on an ea- sel in the background – than with the resonance of the strong red and blue colours. At the same time, the two empty chairs also tell the story of painter and model, of the dialogue between subject and object in the studio. Although Giacometti does not depict any people in this painting, they are nevertheless silently present. Augusto Giacometti (1877–1947). In the Studio I. 1939. Oil on canvas. 55 × 55 cm. Estimate: CHF 70 000/90 000