Picasso, Matisse and Dali star in Christie's $100m Modern Art sale

The auction will offer works from the most important artists of the 20th century on May 1

Christie's have announced a stellar line-up of important works for their upcoming Evening Sale of Impressionist and Modern Art in May.

The auction will feature fresh-to-the-market paintings, sculptures and works on paper from 'blue chip' artists such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Joan Miró, and Claude Monet, Henry Moore, Henri Matisse and Alberto Giacometti.

With 32 lots on offer, the sale is expected to achieve in excess of $100m in New York on May 1.

"Our highly-successful London sales in this category in February demonstrated there is overwhelming demand among collectors worldwide for blue-chip works from private collections, especially those not seen on the market in several decades," said Brooke Lampley, Head of Impressionist and Modern Art at Christie's New York.

"Our upcoming May sales were assembled with this specific collecting formula in mind, to best meet the needs of today's discerning client. As a result, this sale features an exceptional line-up of rare rediscoveries, career masterpieces, and fresh-to-market works with a strong emphasis on provenance and exhibition history."

"From Cézanne to Matisse, Picasso and Monet, all of the major artists of the era are well represented in this sale, with a diversity of offerings to suit collectors at every price level."

Henri Matisse's Les Pivoines, valued at $8 - $12m

As we previewed last month, the highlight of the sale will be Paul Cézanne's rediscovered study for 'The Card Players' valued at up to $20m. But this will be accompanied by works from some of the most important names in 20^th century art.

'Les Pivoines' by Henri Matisse, a landscape painted during the artist's Fauvist period, will appear with an estimated price of $8 - $12m along with a group of works by Pablo Picasso which includes Deux nus couchés ($8 - $12m) and Le Repos ($5 - $7m).

The later Picasso work depicts his lover and muse Marie-Thérèse Walter, the inspiration for his incredible period of creativity in 1932 and the subject of Nude, Green Leaves and Bust, the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction.

Modern sculpture will be represented by works from Alberto Giacometti and Henry Moore. Giacometti's Buste de Diego, which depicts his collaborator and brother Diego, will be offered with a pre-sale estimate of $8 - $12m alongside Henry Moore's 1956 Reclining figure, valued at $4 - $6m.

With the global art market currently booming, collectors should expect fireworks at the upcoming sale. The past two years have seen new World Record prices set for work by Matisse, Dali, Picasso and Giacometti - and there's every chance a few more may be set in New York on May 1.

If you're looking to invest in art by some of the 20^th century's biggest names, we're currently offering work by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali in our online store here.

Recent and related articles

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Images: Christie's