Bonhams Impressionist & Modern Art auction on February 7, 2012, will include an exciting selection of works by artists including Picasso, Modigliani, Chagall, Marini, Lebasque and Nadal.
The current highlight of the sale is Jeune Fille aux Cheveux Noirs by the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani (pictured below).
This follows on from Bonhams' successful sale of another Modigliani portrait - Portrait de Femme, which fetched £1,812,000 on June 21, 2011.
Modigliani is renowned for his enigmatic portraits of women with their elongated features and deep gazes.
They have been described as 'the works by which the artist has earned his place in the history of art' and this fine example, estimated at £700,000-1,000,000, is no exception.
It comes to the market from the Laurence S. Rockefeller Fund and is expected to attract bidders from around the globe.
 Amedeo Modigliani's Jeune Fille aux Cheveux Noirs is among the sale's highlights |
Another exciting lot on offer is a work in charcoal and crayons on paper by Picasso, Personnages, which is a particularly interesting early example of his work and is estimated at £25,000-35,000.
Also included in the sale are two Cavello e Cavaliere works by Marino Marini (1901-1980). Both are executed in pen, black ink and gouache on paper, and depict the horse and rider, an iconic theme which dominated the artist's work.
With their bright colours and sunny scenes, Carlos Nadal's (1917-1998) works often prove popular at auction.
He has been described as 'the last wild expressionist of Spain' and the influence of the Fauvist painters is evident in his paintings. Le Salon rouge (1972) offered in this sale is a fine example of his vivid and vibrant style and has attracted a pre-sale estimate of £15,000-20,000.
"We were thrilled with the success of our previous sale," said Deborah Allan, of Bonhams Impressionist and Modern Art Department.
"[It] sold 98% by lot and 99% by value and look forward to offering another excellent selection of works by some of the most pre-eminent artists of the 20th Century."
Excitement will also surround the Chagall artworks featured in Bonhams' sale. The artist's works have been commanding hundreds of thousands of pounds at the world's top auctions for years; including his 1978 piece L'ane Bleu Dans Le Ciel Du Village which brought £164,800 at a Sotheby's auction in 2006.
Better still, you don't need to be enormously wealthy to afford original Chagall works.
Pieces that we've handled at Paul Fraser Collectibles include this superb signed print, autographed by 'the quintessential Jewish artist of the 20th century' himself.
It is a priced at a relatively low £895 ($1,475) - a bargain price for an artefact from the seminal career of an artist of whom Picasso once remarked: "When Matisse dies, Chagall will be the only painter left who understands what colour really is."
Watch this space for more news on Bonhams' sale.
