19:51, 04-May-2018
Christie's Spring Preview: New York auction house to sell off 20th century art
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Warmer weather has finally arrived in New York City, and with it comes the spring auction season. Christie's auction house offered a sneak peak Thursday. This is for their upcoming sale of Impressionist, Modern and Post-War, Contemporary Art collections. Works were shown to the public before going under the hammer later this month.
More than 750 works by renowned artists from the 20th century are up for sale. They are divided between two categories: "Impressionist and Modern Art" and "Post-War and Contemporary Art". According to the auction house, the estimated total worth is 850 million US dollars.
Top lots include a portrait by Pablo Picasso titled "Le Marin," predicted to go for 70 million USD.
Also estimated to be in the same ballpark is a vibrant composition by Russian painter Kazimir Malevich. Jordan called it "the foundation work for the modernist movement".
CONOR JORDAN, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN IMPRESSIONIST AND MODERN ART AT CHRISTIE'S NEW YORK "It represents that moment when Malevich was reinventing easel painting. He was stripping form back down to its most essential elements and creating this quasi-spiritual sort of universe. That was a deep well of inspiration for artists around him in Russia as well as artists of his generation in wider Europe."
On the Post-War and Contemporary side, key lots include two works by Andy Warhol -- a portrait by Francis Bacon of his lover George Dyer, and a massive aluminum sculpture resembling children's Play-Doh by Jeff Koons.
The Impressionist and Modern Art evening sale is set for May 15th, followed by the Post-War and Contemporary Art evening sale on May 17th.