3412 - Hermann Scherer

Hermann Scherer 1893 Rümmingen – 1927 Basel View of the Sertig Valley. Circa 1925 Watercolor and charcoal on paper Signed lower left: H. Scherer Framed 43.2 × 55 cm (sheet size) Hermann Scherer is considered one of the leading figures of Swiss Expressionism. After training as a stone sculptor in Lörrach, he increasingly turned to painting and graphic art. His encounters with Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, beginning in 1923 in Frauenkirch near Davos, were formative for his artistic development. As a co-founder of the “Rot-Blau” artists’ group, Scherer developed a distinctive, expressive visual language characterized by simplified forms, intense color, and an immediate, emotional expressiveness. In the work on offer, Scherer translates the Alpine landscape into a powerful, abstract composition. With vibrant colors, strong contrasts, and steeply sloping forms, he lends the valley a dynamic, almost dramatic effect. The landscape does not appear as a detailed reproduction, but rather as a subjectively perceived experience of nature, in which color and form become independent means of expression. The Sertig Valley, closely linked to Kirchner’s life in Davos and his home there, was a recurring motif for the “Rot-Blau” group of artists. Works by Scherer featuring this characteristic landscape subject are extremely rare on the art market, making this piece a remarkable testament to his brief but significant body of work. Auction Date: November 28, 2026 Approximate Auction Time: 5:35 p.m. CET