OLD MASTERS IN
THE BEST OF HANDS
Works of art that are centuries old often have complex histories; their origins are not always preserved in full. Paintings on copper, panel or canvas confront us as quiet witnesses to the past. While certain aspects of their history may have been lost, their value as historical documents continues to grow. In an auction house, unexpected encounters with artworks often occur – discoveries in the truest sense of the word. What may initially appear modest can, upon closer examination and scholarly assessment, reveal itself to be a work of great significance. Our specialists frequently come across artworks that have remained in family ownership for generations and have long been absent from public view.
Koller draws on a broad range of expertise to research works of art and to reconstruct their origins and histories. Art-historical research plays a central role in this process, while technological aspects are becoming increasingly important, for example in the analysis of pigments, supports or historical frames. We also work closely with international specialists to examine and confirm attributions. In addition, Koller is committed to the conservation of consigned works, ensuring that buyers are offered objects in the best possible condition. Considerable resources are likewise devoted to clarifying often complex provenance histories spanning several centuries. Naturally, the Art Loss Register and other specialist institutions are consulted to clarify the journey of a painting or sculpture.
In 2025, Koller was once again able to offer numerous high-calibre Old Master works. One example is the flower still life with a Roemer glass by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, formerly in aristocratic ownership. The Bosschaert painting, which had only recently resurfaced from a private collection, attracted particular attention. Bosschaert is regarded as one of the pioneers of still-life painting in the 17th century and as a key figure in the development of the genre. At the spring auction, the work sparked lively bidding; the hammer price of CHF 860 000 exceeded the lower estimate by more than threefold.
AMBROSIUS
BOSSCHAERT
THE ELDER
Bouquet of flowers in a Roemer glass set
within a niche, c. 1620.
Oil on copper, 26.3 × 17.1 cm.
Sold for CHF 865 000
to the USA
Equally impressive was the rediscovery of a large-format depiction of the Archangel Michael by Antoine de Lonhy. The owners, a Swiss private collection, consigned the painting as an anonymous work. In the course of our research, it was identified as a work by de Lonhy that had long been considered lost to scholarship. A connection with the Dominican churches of Turin or Chieri appears plausible. Other panels from the same altarpiece are today held in museums in Antwerp, Turin and Paris, as well as in Swiss private collections. The Archangel achieved CHF 210 000 and represents a significant enrichment to the scholarship of 15th-century Piedmontese painting.
ANTOINE DE LONHY
The Archangel Michael. Oil, tempera and gold ground
on panel, 103.8 × 44.4 cm.
Sold for CHF 210 000
to Ireland
‘As one of the few auction houses in Europe specialising in Old Masters, we enable discoveries that would otherwise remain hidden.’
Karoline Weser, Head of Department
Particular attention was also drawn to the sale of Jan Lievens’ ‘Portrait of a woman by candlelight’. In September, this striking portrait rose from a low five-figure estimate to CHF 325 000. This rare work once again demonstrated how an attractive estimate can generate broad interest and ultimately lead to a substantially higher result.
Also noteworthy was the ‘Allegory of History’ by Charles Errard the Younger, which realised just under CHF 100 000. Works by Errard are extremely rare on the market; the painting offered here had previously been on long-term loan for over a decade to the Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts in Lausanne.
Another highlight was Denijs van Alsloot’s monumental painting ‘Diana and Callisto’, a mythological scene from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Research carried out prior to the auction enabled the work to be definitively attributed to Denijs van Alsloot; the painting ultimately sold for just under CHF 400 000. A smaller version of the composition is held in the Musée du Louvre in Paris.
ISAAC
SOREAU
Basket of grapes with peaches
and bouquet of flowers.
Oil on panel, 54.2 × 74.7 cm.
Sold for CHF 225 000
in Switzerland
TUSCAN
MASTER
Madonna and Child and Pietà with four
saints. Tempera and gold ground
on panel, 55.5 × 35.5 cm.
Sold for CHF 160 000
to Germany
DENIJS
VAN ALSLOOT
Diana and Callisto.
Oil on canvas, 120 × 168.5 cm.
Sold for CHF 385 000
to Belgium
CONTACT FOR
ENQUIRIES AND
CONSIGNMENTS:
KAROLINE WESER
Head of DepartmentOld Master Paintings
weser@kollerauktionen.com
+41 44 445 63 35