The hits just keep on coming for Christie’s now expecting $500m Monday sale. In the same collection for 45 years (and last identified in an exhibition catalogue as belonging to real estate developer Sheldon Solow) and finished with the artist’s painted surface, this Giacometti stands tall for May:

Christie’s will auction a bronze sculpture by Alberto Giacometti at a sale next month, and has estimated its value as high as $130 million, which would be the highest price paid for a sculpture at auction, the company said Tuesday.

The sculpture, “Pointing Man (L’homme au doigt),” shows an elongated bronze figure, 5 feet 10 inches high, standing in a commanding pose with both arms raised.

Christie’s said the sculpture, from a private collection, had never been sold at auction before. It is from an edition of six casts, plus an artist’s proof, that Giacometti made shortly after the end of the Second World War. The Museum of Modern Art in New York holds one of the versions in its collection.

Christie’s Predicts Giacometti Sculpture Will Draw High Price (NYTimes.com)