Carol Vogel announces the cover lot for Christie’s May Impressionist sale:

The cover of its May 4 evening Impressionist and modern art sale in New York is one of Monet’s famed poplar images from 1891. All officials at Christie’s will say about the seller is that he is from Taiwan. In November 2000 Christie’s sold the painting to an anonymous bidder for $7 million. Now it has an estimate of $20 million to $30 million. To entice wealthy Russian collectors, who have been big buyers, the painting is off to Moscow and then London, where it will go on view before the sales. This will be the first time in two seasons that Christie’s has taken highlights from these sales to Russia, said Conor Jordan, head of Christie’s Impressionist and modern art department in New York.

Inside Art: Monet Poplars For Sale (New York Times)