Rodin’s and Other Art from Robert Schweizer Offered at Auction December 13-
15th, 2019.
Detroit, MI December, 2019 – A prominent Ann Arbor collector who was also the proprietor of
a legendary Detroit restaurant selected DuMouchelle Art Galleries to auction his extensive and
precious art collection. The collector, Robert (“Bob”) Schweizer, was the fourth generation
proprietor of Schweizer’s Restaurant, a German restaurant that became a Detroit institution
over its nearly 130 years (1862-1991) by the riverfront.
DuMouchelles’ team of art experts spent days in the home evaluating and researching his
extensive art collection to prepare the items for sale at the upcoming December 13th, 14th and
15th auctions. They began to find hidden treasures and very rare artwork, including bronze
sculptures by the famed Auguste Rodin (French, 1840-1917), considered the progenitor of
modern sculpture. Rodin’s “A Burgher of Calais (Jean D’aire)” and “Le Désespéré” were two of
the most unique finds and were cast at Alexis Rudier Fondeur Paris. A marble sculpture of the
latter title is an identical subject in the collection of the St. Louis Art Museum.
“Bob’s father and grandfather were customers of ours since our founding in 1927. They
purchased beautiful paintings and sculptures by established artists to adorn their restaurant
and homes. When Schweizer’s restaurant closed in 1991, we sold its renouned collection.
However, in all those decades, we hadn’t seen Bob’s personal collection until we began
cataloguing his home”, said Joan D. Walker, President of DuMouchelles. “We didn’t expect to
find the Rodin’s or the wide-ranging variety of rare objects across so many categories including
art glass by L. C. Tiffany, Murano, Lalique, and Steuben, sterling silver by Georg Jensen and
Gorham and many other fine art pieces. This is one of the most exceptional collections we’ve
auctioned at DuMouchelles in this decade.”
The auction also features a number of additional remarkable collections, including:
• Nearly 100 firearms, including a 19th century Flintlock Percussion Rifle, and a circa 1720-
60 Seven Years’ War Era French Rapier
• Contemporary art, including paintings and bronzes by notable artists such as Paul
Suttman (American 1933- 1993), Nancy Graves (American, 1939 – 1995), Robert Longo
(American b. 1953), among many others
• Gold and silver rare coin collection
• Mid-century furniture
• Hand woven oriental rugs in many different styles and sizes
• Oils on canvas, including Hughie Lee-Smith (1915-1999) and Jean-Pierre Pincemin
(French, 1944–2005)
Dumouchelles’ auctions start Friday December 13th at 1pm, Saturday December 14th at 11am
and Sunday December 15th at 12pm.
Preview of auction items begin Friday December 6th 9:30am – 5:30pm and continue during the
auctions, including an extended preview on Wednesday December 11th until 7:30pm. The
gallery is closed on Mondays and Sundays, except on auction Sundays.
You do not need to be present to bid at our auctions and may bid over the phone, absentee, or
on line through Invaluable.com or Liveauctioneers.com. For more information, please visit
www.dumoart.com
Dumouchelle Art Galleries is a fine art auction house, founded in 1927 and located in
downtown Detroit, across from the landmark Renaissance Center. Dumouchelles attracts
notable consignments and commands top prices in the international auction marketplace.
Drawing on our nearly 100 years in business, our experts provide personalized service to
individuals, families and estate settlement professionals to buy and sell fine objects from
around the country.
Our auctions reach international audiences and showcase beautiful and rare items across many
categories, including paintings, fine art glass, sculptures, porcelain, oriental rugs, other
valuables and antiques.
