Walter Mafli (1915-2017), Snowy Countryside Painting, 2016, large 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 accomplished and expressive artwork by this artist

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.

This particular composition is, in our opinion, one of his most accomplished and expressive works. Mafli’s signature pastel palette is immediately apparent: soft, blue-green tones blending into deeper blues and greens, with subtle reddish accents illuminating the sky. These hues melt together with remarkable fluidity, creating an atmosphere that is both serene and introspective.

The scene depicts a rural Swiss countryside, likely inspired by the Jura region. At the centre stands a small, isolated farm building — more a modest storage barn than a house — anchoring the composition with quiet simplicity. The landscape unfolds in layers of colour and texture, suggesting fields recently worked: touches of light brown, muted greens, grey-white and earthy tones add depth and rhythm to the horizon.

A distinctive hallmark of Mafli appears here as well: two vivid, small red touches subtly placed within the scene — a recurring motif found throughout his body of work, adding a poetic spark of life and emotion to the composition.

Mafli’s technique, recognizable at first glance, combines delicate strokes with a soft, almost dreamlike blending of pigments, conveying a sense of contemplation and inner quiet. His art has often been described as visual poetry, where colour serves as language and emotion as structure. Until his last days, he painted with passion, devotion, and a profound relationship to nature and light.

This painting embodies the very essence of Walter Mafli’s artistic identity: refined, atmospheric, and emotionally resonant. A rare opportunity to acquire a work of strong artistic character, from an artist whose legacy is gaining well-deserved momentum among collectors of contemporary Swiss art.

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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