Powder Paint: The Art of the Ski Slope

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St Moritz is known for style, society and, of course, skiing. As the Swiss ski season gets fully underway this weekend with the final Alpine runs opening, Sotheby’s takes to the slopes with an array of works from the forthcoming Swiss Art sale in Zurich that show the tranquil valleys around this exclusive resort – all blanketed in snow and ready for the season ahead.

Swiss Art
1 December | Zurich

Powder Paint: The Art of the Ski Slope

  • Valentin Roschacher, La Margna (am silsersee), 2008. Estimate: CHF30,000–50,000.
    St Moritz's position in the south of Switzerland in the Engadin Valley near Italy means that it has the much sought-after combination of reliable snow and over 300 days of sunshine each year. This view of the mountains encapsulates the idyllic alpine climate.

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  • Hans Beat Wieland, Wintersonne im engadin, 1920. Estimate: CHF6,000–8,000.
    St Moritz became the first winter tourist destination in the Alps in 1864, before electrical light had even come to the mountains. By 1920, when this picture was painted, electric trams were installed and annual horse and bob run races had been established.

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  • Gottardo Segantini, Engadiner winterlandschaft, 1950. Estimate: CHF30,000–40,000.
    In 1929, St Moritz’s first ski school was set up, a year after the resort hosted the Olympic Games for the first time. This painting comes two years after the resort hosted the games for a second time in 1948.

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  • Walter Ropélé, Eis und schnee am silsersee, 2015. Estimate: CHF12,000–16,000.
    Skiing is not the only attraction at St Moritz; visitors to the resort also have the opportunity to engage in ice sports, and the lakes have long been used for curling and skating.

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