Cezanne, Picasso, Modigliani works expected to shine in NY auctions

PanARMENIAN.Net - Works by Soutine, Cezanne, Picasso and Modigliani were expected to shine this week at red-hot spring auctions of Impressionist and Modern art in New York, AFP said.

Rivals Christie’s and Sotheby’s say the market, long recovered from the post-2008 financial crisis slump, is in better than buoyant mood.

Last year, Sotheby’s Modern and Impressionist auction notched up a record-setting $ 119.9 million sale of a version of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream.” This time, the main stars are expected to be Paul Cezanne’s “Les Pommes,” along with Amedeo Modigliani’s “L’Amazone,” and sculptures by Rodin and Picasso.

A total of 70 works are up for sale, with an estimated value of $ 165 million.

Cezanne’s “Les Pommes,” a landmark still life of apples on a table, is estimated to fetch between $25-35 million. Modigliani’s “L’Amazone,” estimated at $ 20-30 million, was painted early in his career in 1909 and shows the glamorous Baroness Marguerite de Hasse de Villers.

The works are from the collection of philanthropists Alex and Elisabeth Lewyt and will fund a foundation set up in their honor, with a focus on animal welfare and others of their favored causes.

Picasso’s statue “Sylvette,” estimated at $ 12-18 million, is expected to get attention, given what Simon Shaw, head of the Impressionist and Modern department, called the “increasing sophistication of sculptures buyers.” It’s Picasso’s interpretation of his young neighbor in Vallauris, in the south of France, in 1954 and is made of metal.

Sotheby’s will also be selling three Rodin bronzes, including a version of “Le Penseur,” or “The Thinker,” estimated at $ 8-12 million.

The Christie’s sale will be led by Soutine’s “Le Petit Patissier,” (“The Little Pastry Chef“), estimated at $ 16-22 million, and Andre Derain’s 1905 “Portrait de Madame Matisse au kimono,” estimated at $ 15-20 million.