Christie’s announced the sale of a large collection of 200 works spanning Antiquity to Old Master to Tribal to Modern to Post-War art that will start being sold in London this February. The whole group is estimated at between £25 and £35 million:

The collection includes an impressive group of Impressionist and Modern art including several works by some of the titans of Modernism. Joan Miró‟s Personages et oiseaux devant le soleil, dates from 1946, a year when the artist became freer in his handling, creating greater contrasts between his painted figures. This is an important example of the artist‟s work from this period; a whimsical, capricious and poetic composition that is expected to realize £4 million to £6 million. Femme au fauteuil, 1949, by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) is expected to realize £4 million to £6 million. This fascinating portrait was executed in 1949, while the artist was with his young lover and muse Françoise Gilot, and draws on motifs and distortions more often associated with depictions of Dora Maar, the artist‟s previous lover.

Le table devant le bâtiment, 1919, by Juan Gris carries a personal dedication from the artist to his dealer, Léonce Rosenberg, by whom he was exhibited the following year (estimate: £1.5 million to £2 million). This is an exceptional example of the artist‟s work from a period when his paintings showed a wonderful clarity. Juan Gris reinvigorated Cubism when he joined the movement, later than Braque and Picasso, the original pioneers. Further Impressionist and Modern works will be offered by artists including Fernand Léger, René Magritte, Yves Tanguy, Julio González and Salvador Dalí, among others.

Feb 12 – Living with Art