Van Gogh painting unseen for 60 years draws crowds in Hong Kong ahead of auction

HONG KONG, October 14 - Thousands of onlookers gathered outside a Hong Kong gallery to witness a Vincent van Gogh painting being displayed publicly for the first time in six decades. The Dutch artist's "Chataigniers en fleurs" ("Chestnut Trees in Blossom") is set to be auctioned in New York on November 18, with estimates suggesting it could break records and sell for around US$180 million (RM735.48), according to Sotheby’s.

This particular piece, one of 12 works owned by late Argentine collectors Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier and Carlos Pedro Blaquier, had remained unseen by the public for over six decades. The painting, completed in 1890 during one of the last two months of Van Gogh's life, showcases a blossoming chestnut tree with a solitary man strolling by three women dressed in Japanese attire.

Scott Niichel, a vice chairman at Sotheby’s, described the artwork as one of the final, most expressive, and hopeful pieces created by the artist in this critical phase of his career. Niichel noted that Van Gogh was producing art at an extraordinary pace during these final days, often averaging one work per day, and that the thick application of paint in the artwork suggests the artist's intensity and urgency to capture his final moments on canvas.

In comparison to other high-value Van Gogh pieces, such as "The Orchard with Cypresses," which sold for US$117.2 million in a 2022 auction, the price for "Chestnut Trees in Blossom" is expected to be even higher. Niichel added that the reveal in Hong Kong has sparked interest from potential buyers in Asia, indicating that the market for Van Gogh's art is expanding beyond traditional Western markets.