Eberhard Walter Kornfeld, or "Ebi" as everyone knew him, was a monument in himself: an authoritative figure in the art trade and the art world, in Switzerland and internationally, for over seventy years. In February 1945, barely 22 years old, Ebi began a three-year internship at the renowned art dealership of August Klipstein, formerly Gutekunst & Klipstein, which had been based in Bern since 1920. During the summer months he visited print cabinets in Basel, Paris, London and Amsterdam, for example, to continue his self-education. He was so studious and dependable a pupil that August Klipstein entrusted him with more and more projects and finally took him on permanently.

But Ebi was never just interested in record prices: no, he was primarily interested in art, in all its complexities. He would describe a print for 1,000 Swiss francs with the same meticulousness and refinement as a painting worth millions. For many decades it was Ebi himself who wrote the auction catalogues, so that in all those years practically all the works of art sold by our house passed over his desk. There can have been few indeed who have ever held so many works in their hands as Ebi did in his long life, as a dealer, an auctioneer and as a collector. If one were to add up in his publications, that is his auction, scholarly and exhibition catalogues as well as all the works he described privately, the sheer number of his descriptions – of paintings, prints and drawings, sculptures and illustrated books ¬– would defy enumeration! Hi s extraordinarily impressive and well-founded knowledge and experience justified his reputation as a widely respected "scholar-dealer". His passion was also evident in his own collection: he would show and discuss it with friends and fellow enthusiasts, and he was more than happy to make it available to museums for exhibitions. He generously bequeathed parts of it to various institutions.

Ebi was not only an auctioneer, but a gallery owner and dealer who maintained close and friendly business contacts with many artists of his day: Marc Chagall, Sam Francis, Franz Gertsch, Alberto Giacometti, Joan Mitchell, Pablo Picasso, Niki de Saint-Phalle and Jean Tinguely are just a few amongst many others. He was also involved in cultural policy issues and was President of the Swiss Art Dealers Association for thirty-seven years.

Almost ten years ago the next generation took over the reins of the 150-year-old company which had been shaped by Kornfeld for almost half of its history. It was an incredible privilege to work so intensively with him, as a master and mentor, over the last few years, to learn from him every day and to grow with him. He took an active part in the company's operations into his venerable old age and conducted his last auction in 2017, with flying colours. Ebi worked for the company for over seventy-eight years, sixty-six of them at the front of the house, in every sense. And nearly five years ago he was also involved in an architectural competition that set the course for the renovation and expansion of our premises.