Miquel Barcelo (1957), Natura morta col spina da pesce , 1983, mixed technique on canvas, signed, dated, titled and situated Naples on verso, 56.5x75 cm On verso: label Galerie Lucio Amelio, Naples Weak tension of the canvas on its stretcher Richard H. Berger Collection (1947-2025) Richard Berger had a surprising and endearing personality. He had all the rigour of numbers that made him a perfect accountant, and on the other hand, the soul of a true artist. An early visitor to Art Basel, he frequented contemporary art fairs and happenings in Zurich, befriended Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, and enjoyed having his works autographed (lots 2242 to 2244). A compulsive collector, he accumulated hundreds of works in his home. An avid fan of comic strips, he liked to meet their authors (lots 1870 to 1875). An artist himself, he felt the need to create his own paintings through numerous performances and experiments... His exceptional professional skills and the total trust that could be placed in Richard Berger led him to become chief accountant at Sotheby's Switzerland, where he worked for nearly 40 years, and to collaborate with Piguet for nearly 10 years. All lots marked in green in the printed catalogue are from the Richard H. Berger collection. Miquel Barcelo (1957) - Natura morta col spina da pesce , 1983 Produced during an extended stay in Naples in 1983, this still life embodies Miquel Barceló's early interest in textural and raw complexity, which made him one of the most influential artists of his generation. The fishbone, the central motif, refers to recurring themes in the artist's work: decomposition, transformation and the cycle of life. The density of the pictorial paste and the richness of its surface make this painting a field of experimentation in which the elemental forces of nature are expressed. A world-renowned artist, Barceló designed the spectacular ceiling of the Human Rights Hall and the Alliance of Civilisations at the UN in Geneva in 2008, and his work is currently being showcased in the "Autofictions" retrospective at the Jan Michalski Foundation (March-September 2025). "Natura morta col spina da pesce" aptly illustrates this approach, in which the pictorial material, both experimental and mastered, becomes a vector of meaning and memory.