SWISS MADE UNLOCKED
Shakes up the auction scene in Switzerland

Sotheby’s Zurich’s first online auction
sees spirited bidding and strong prices across categories

Albert Anker’s jewel-like 19th-century portrait of a child
Knabe bei Tisch sells for CHF 250,000 / $ 264,135

Louis Soutter’s haunting Aurore Boréale
sells for CHF 187,500 / USD 198,101

Erwin Wurm’s Fat Car, 2001-2004
Doubles its estimate to sell for CHF 150,000 / USD 158,481

Zurich, 1 July 2020 – Yesterday’s brand-new auction format curated by Sotheby’s, Swiss Made UNLOCKED, saw above-estimate prices and spirited bidding across an array of collecting categories. The sale, which totaled CHF 2.9 million (USD 3 million), defied convention and heralded a new, dynamic approach to auction in Switzerland. Close to half of the works sold yesterday achieved prices above the high estimate, with a number of hotly-contested lots achieving many multiples of the pre-sale estimates. 24 countries were represented among those participating in the sale and more than a quarter of buyers were new to Sotheby’s.

Speaking after the sale, Caroline Lang, Chairman of Sotheby’s Switzerland, commented, “From 19th-century painting and exquisite miniatures to Modern and Contemporary Art and photography, this new format encapsulates the brilliant range of art you can find in Switzerland, reflecting the personality and unique eye of each collector who entrusted us with art and objects for this sale. Grounded in tradition, yet resolutely forward-thinking, Swiss Made UNLOCKED has opened up new connections and new possibilities. Across the team, we are excited to continue breaking new ground and challenging conventions.”

SALE HIGHLIGHTS: An International Dialogue Across Eras and Categories

Albert Anker’s tender 19th-century portrait of a child, Knabe bei Tisch (Ruedi Anker) II, sold for CHF 250,000 / USD 264,135 (lot 40 est. CHF 200 – 300,000).
An important work by Louis Soutter, Aurore Boréale, drew sustained bidding, eventually reaching CHF 187,500 / USD 198,101 (Lot 22 est. CHF 150 – 200,000).
Strong bidding on Erwin Wurm’s contemporary sculpture Fat Car, 2001-2004 drove the final price to double the pre-sale estimate reaching CHF 150,000 / USD 158,481 (Lot 5, est. CHF 60 – 80,000).
A major figure of Swiss Expressionism, Paul Camenisch also drew attention from collectors: a recto-verso work completed in 1926 sold for CHF 150,000 / USD 158,481 (Lot 48, Mendrisiotto, est. CHF 120 – 150,000).
Serge Poliakoff’s Composition aux formes blanches, 1959 attracted sustained bidding from early on in the sale, selling for CHF 137,000 / USD 145,274 (lot 10, est. CHF 70 – 90,000).
More than doubling the low estimate, a group of 25 exquisite 17th and 18th century miniatures from the Pohl-Ströher collection was 100% sold, achieving a combined total of CHF 63,250 / USD 66,826.

Swiss Made UNLOCKED was the first online auction held out of Sotheby’s Zurich, weaving together artworks and objects ranging from 13 collecting categories, from Old Masters and Swiss Art right through to Post-War art and contemporary photography. Taking in painting, sculpture, design, decorative arts, the conversation also included the art of watchmaking and fine jewellery.