Carol Vogel points to the Franz Kline at Christie’s with an impeccable provenance (Mnuchin, Geffen, George Roberts) that could go anywhere now that AbEx prices have gone through the roof with last year’s Clyfford Still sales. Both Still and Kline have thinly traded markets but outsized importance in art history. With only a few works available to transact, the markets are lumpy and unpredictable:

On Nov. 14 an untitled painting by Franz Kline from 1957 will go on the block at Christie’s and is expected to bring $20 million to $30 million. That estimate is more than three times the current record auction price for a Kline, set in 2005 when Christie’s sold “Crow Dancer,” a 1958 painting, for $6.4 million. But recently, experts say, four Klines have sold privately for over $20 million apiece.

A Kline Work is For Sale (Inside Art/New York Times)