Following a stellar year in 2014, auction house Christie’s is set to start 2015 with a bang with its February 4 Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale in London which has a total pre-sale estimate of £92.8 million to £133.8 million. Leading the sale is an exceptional selection of seminal works by Cézanne, Modigliani, Giacometti, Gris, Braque, and Moore.Many of the works in the sale are coming to market for the first time in generations – works such as Paul Cézanne’s circa 1883-1885 masterpiece “L’Estaque et Le Château d’If” (estimate: £8-12 million). The painting is being offered for sale for the first time since it was acquired in 1936 by Samuel Courtauld, founder of the Courtauld Gallery and Institute of Art.Other highlights include Juan Gris’s Cubist collage “La Lampe” 1914 (estimate: £2.5-3.5 million), Georges Braque’s early Fauvist landscape “Paysage à L’Estaque (estimate: £2-3 million), Erich Heckel’s Die Brücke masterpiece “Badende am Waldteich” 1910 estimate: (£1.5-2 million), and Henry Moore’s monumental sculpture “Three Piece Reclining Figure No. 2 (Bridge Prop)” 1963 (estimate: £2-3 million).Bolstering the sale is a collection of 31 twentieth century works from a distinguished private collection, including 24 Modern and Surrealist works, which together comprise Reality and Surreality: A Twentieth Century Dialogue. These works, which are expected to fetch £64 million, will be will be auctioned across The Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale and Art of the Surreal Evening Sale.The group is led by Joan Miró’s “L'oiseau au plumage déployé vole vers l'arbre argenté” 1953 (estimate: £7-9 million), Amedeo Modigliani’s rare double portrait “Les deux filles” 1918 (estimate: £6-8 million) and Alberto Giacometti’s sculpture “Femme de Venise V” 1956 (estimate: £6-8 million). Also included are major works by Magritte, Delvaux, Picasso, Moore, and Fontana.Jay Vincze, International Director and Head of The Impressionist and Modern Art Department, Christie’s London, said: “We are honoured to present to the market this season an incredibly rich variety of exceptional works, many of which are museum quality and most of which are appearing on the market for the first time in generations.“The week of sales at Christie’s King Street and South Kensington presents discerning new and established private collectors and institutions across the globe with unique opportunities to acquire first rate works by the masters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, at all price levels.”Follow @UK_ARTINFO
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