Walter Mafli (1915–2017), Painting 1991, oil pastel on paper, signed and dated

Walter Mafli (1915–2017), Composition, 1991, oil pastel on paper

Signed and Dated

33.5 x 61.5 cm (without frame)

Framed

About the Painting:

We are pleased to present a beautiful and emotionally charged painting by the late Swiss artist Walter Mafli, a painter whose talent and poetic vision positioned him among the most promising rising Swiss artists of his generation. His recent passing has sadly ended a life devoted to art, but has at the same time ignited a renewed interest for his work. As no new creations will emerge, Mafli’s paintings have gained strong recognition and rising value, reflecting a growing appreciation among collectors.

A luminous meditation on colour, balance, and space, Composition exemplifies the refined visual language developed by Swiss artist Walter Mafli during the later decades of his career.

Executed in 1991 in rich oil pastel, this work reveals Mafli’s remarkable ability to distil form to its essential elements while preserving an evocative emotional resonance. Structured through an elegant arrangement of interlocking geometric planes, the composition unfolds with quiet rhythm and architectural precision.

Expanses of radiant cobalt, turquoise, emerald, and celadon are punctuated by vibrant accents of terracotta and golden ochre, creating a subtle dialogue between cool serenity and chromatic intensity. Softly blurred contours and luminous white divisions imbue the work with a sense of light and transparency, while the textured surface of the pastel enriches its tactile presence.

Neither entirely abstract nor strictly geometric, Mafli’s composition invites contemplation. The carefully calibrated proportions evoke distant horizons, fragmented landscapes, or the interplay of light through modernist architecture, allowing the viewer to engage freely with the painting’s poetic ambiguity.

Created at the height of the artist’s mature period, this work reflects Mafli’s enduring pursuit of harmony, where colour becomes both structure and emotion. The restrained elegance of the composition, combined with its vibrant palette and exceptional sense of equilibrium, makes it a compelling example of late twentieth-century European abstraction.

Preserved in excellent condition and signed and dated by the artist, Composition represents an opportunity to acquire a work that embodies Walter Mafli’s distinctive vision—an art of silence, light, and timeless sophistication.

Artist Biography:

Walter Mafli is a Swiss artist born on May 10, 1915 in Rebstein, Canton St. Gallen. He was placed in an orphanage at an early age, where he spent his childhood and adolescence. An art teacher noticed his talent and made him aware of it. As an orphan, Walter Mafli was unable to continue his studies. Forced to earn his living as soon as possible, he began an apprenticeship as a stove fitter and then as a tiler. In 1934, he moved to Neuchâtel, where he frequented the painters Edouard Galli, Max Theynet, the Barraud brothers, Octave Matthey and L'Eplattenier. He takes advantage of their teaching by accompanying them to paint in nature. He took part in his first group exhibition in 1943 at the Casino d'Yverdon. In 1944, he took courses at the Ecole cantonale de dessin in Lausanne, then spent long periods in Paris, where he discovered post-war abstract art. From then on, he had one solo exhibition after another in various galleries in French-speaking Switzerland, and in 1958 was awarded the first Prix de peinture abstraite by the Galerie Kasper, then based in Lausanne. In 1959, the same gallery awarded him the Prix Suisse de la peinture abstraite. Despite this recognition, it wasn't until around 1980 that Walter Mafli gained the recognition of a wider public. By then, he had become a veritable success story. His canvases continued to attract buyers, and the value of his work became apparent. He entered major private and public collections.

Far from fashions, he has tried his hand at all styles, from abstract to figurative. Nature remains his main source of inspiration, and his favorite themes - the lake, vineyards and countryside - are transposed onto canvas with colors that are usually applied in successive layers with a spatula or knife, catching the light and giving depth and relief to the subject. The “Mafli touch” is thus easily recognizable.

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