Lot 14: Kees van Dongen, Lailla (1908)
(Est. £ 3.5-5m /US$ 5.5-7.9m)

Hidden beneath the announcement of Sotheby’s Miro, Blue Star was an interesting lot from Kees van Dongen, the perennial auction fodder. Though van Dongens can be hit or miss in the market, this vibrant Orientalist work by the painter brings to mind a Sotheby’s other van Dongen, the record setting Jeune Arab which sold for $13.8m in New York during the November 2009 sales: