Two Families by Mihály Munkácsy, SFr330,000 (£293,700) at Koller.
In the previous year, he had won a gold medal at the Paris Salon, an award that undoubtedly influenced his decision to settle in the French capital.
His early works were generally dominated by darker tones and portrayals of the hard life of the working classes.
After his marriage to a widowed baroness in 1870, he discovered a far more profitable market by depicting the wealth and elegance of the Parisian bourgeoisie, to which he now belonged.
The 2ft 11in x 3ft 10in (88cm x 1.17m) painting Two Families which Koller (25/22% buyer’s premium) in Zurich sold on March 31 contained all the elements of a characteristic Munkácsy: an opulent interior with children, dogs, the elegant lady of the house and the nursemaid. Similar scenes provided the artist with material for several versions of the painting. This one can be dated post-1880.
Today’s collectors are as charmed today as they were some 150 years ago. The hammer fell at SFr330,000 (£293,700), more than three times the estimate.
