Walter Mafli (1915-2017), Snowy Countryside Painting, 2016, chalk on cardboard mounted on board, signed and dated

Walter Mafli (1915-2017), Snowy Countryside, 2016, chalk on cardboard mounted on board, signed and dated

Framed

One of the most beautiful artwork by this artist

Fine Art

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.