Impressionist and Modern Art Auction Provides Stunning Surprises

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The Impressionist and Modern Auction hosted by the International Art House Sotheby's at an invitation only rare evening event, did not disappoint as robust bidding from all corners of the world elevated the sale achievement to over $350,000,000.

Simon Shaw, Co-Head of Sotheby's Worldwide Impressionist & Modern Art Department, commented: "Tonight we united artworks, many of which had been off the market for over half a century, with a new generation of collectors. With winning bids executed by our Old Masters and Contemporary Art specialists, as well as by our Chairmen in Asia and America, it's clear that today's collectors come from all corners of the globe and seek quality in all corners of the market."

The Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale featured several prominent collections that have remained unseen on the market for the better part of a century creating international excitement with the rarest works of art available for collectors.

The collection of the Goldwyns, an iconic Hollywood family, includes Picasso's Femme au chignon dans un fauteuil of 1948, while The Art of Inspiration: The Jerome H. Stone Collection offers works by Fernand Léger, Alberto Giacometti and Joan Miró that were collected directly from the artists' dealers in the 1950s-1960s.

Other highlights include Van Gogh's spectacular autumn landscape from his Arles-period and Picasso's monumental portrait of his raven-haired muse, Jacqueline.

French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterworks in the sale include career-spanning canvases by Monet, and intimate works on paper by Edgar Degas and Paul Cézanne.

An impressive range of late 19th to 20th century sculpture by such artists as Auguste Rodin, Camille Claudel, Jacques Lipchitz and Henry Moore were also featured.

L'ALLEE DES ALYCAMPS, from Vincent Van Gogh sold for $66,330,000 achieving the high in robust bidding from parties around the world utilizing all forms of bidding.

FEMME DANS UN CHAMP DE BLE, also a Van Gogh,achieved an impressive 6,410,000 to reach the range of estimation. The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

NYMPHEAS, from Claude Monet, performed quite well selling for $54,010,000, achieving nearly ten million dollars higher than the lot estimate, with robust competitive bidding from parties around the world.

LE PALASI DUCAL, also from Monet, achieved a sale of $23,098,000 also above its estimated value. Monet's BASSIN AUX NYMPHEAS LES ROSIERS, also impressive, achieving a sale of $20,410,000 

Other works from Impressionist painter Claude Monet included LA SEINE A VETHEUIL estimated between 6,000,000 and 8,000,000 achieved a sale of $11,450.000 and LE CHEMIN D'EPINAY, EFFET DE NEIGE $6,410,000.

FEMME AU CHIGNON DANS UN FAUTEUIL, from Pablo Picasso, also achieved a greater sale value than estimated. Selling for $29,930,000 nearly 12million dollars higher than expected.

NU COUCHE ET FEMME SE LAVANT LES PIEDS selling for $10,330,000 also higher than the estimation value.

Other Picasso pieces selling included FEMME ASIE DANG IN FAUTEUIL NOIR achieving $8,090,000; and VERRE ET FRUITS selling at $1,510,000.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir's, ANEMONES DANS UN VASE achieved well into its estimated value a second piece, FEMME NUE COUCHEE SOUTENANT DES FRUITS was withdrawn from sale.

Several other work, not representing the entire collection, from Marc Chagall, Gustave Caillebotte, Rene Margritte, Edgar Degas and Aguste Rodin were also withdrawn from sale.

The modern art of Alberto Giacometti, BUSTE DE DIEGO (AMENOPHIS) achieved a very impressive $12,794,000 double the estimated $6,000,000.

FEMME DE VENISE VI, also from Giacometti, achieved a startling $16,154,000 double the beginning estimate of $8,000,000 and more than $4,000,000 higher than the top estimation of $12,000,000.

The authenticity of these works has been confirmed by the Comité Giacometti, working under the authority of the artist's moral right, and will be published in their forthcoming Catalogue raisonné.

Other works by Alberto Giacometti performed equally well. POMMES DANS L'ATELLIER, estimated at 3,500,000 to 5,000,000 achieved a sale of $7,082,000.

Sotheby's International Art Auction also hosted an Impressionist and Modern Arts Day Sale which also included most well-known artists from the French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist period. The day sale achieved an impressive $51,645,250 with seven pieces achieving more than $1,000,000 in robust bidding.

Fernand Léger's magnificent LES PLONGEURS EN ROUGE ET BLEU, painted in 1943 also performed strongly, selling above estimate at $2,050,000.

Two works from quintessential Impressionist painter, Claude Monet, NYMPHEAS and LE GOLFE JUAN each, in impressive bidding performed well selling at $2,290,000 and $1,330,000 respectively.

Leading the day sale were eleven pieces from master artist Pablo Picasso, including sketch works revealing his process of broad idea to narrowed completed expression.

Eleven beautiful works from Marc Chagall; ten stunning canvass works, all performing well above estimate, from Pierre-Auguste Renoir were featured.

Post-Impressionist sculpture from Lynn Chadwick, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, were featured along with a stunning collection of work most from private collection previously unseen publically in this century.

Upcoming auctions include Magnificent Jewels and Nobel Jewels in Geneva May 12, a Contemporary Art Evening Auction, in New York, May 12, followed on May 13 by a Contemporary Art Day Auction also in New York. The Warshawsky Collection, Masterworks of Tiffany and Prewar Design in New York, May 19, and Photographs in London on May 23, 2015.

For more information on these upcoming events: http://www.sothebys.com/en.html 

Images courtesy of Sotheby's International.