A Van Gogh hidden away for over 50 years and a vibrant Cezanne harlequin: our pick of the November auctions
Plus, an enigmatic Man Ray kiss
Vincent van Gogh's "Châtaigniers en fleurs" (blossoming chestnut trees), painted during his final weeks in the French village of Auvers-sur-Oise, is set to be auctioned by Sotheby's with an estimated price tag of $180 million. The painting, which has remained unseen by the public since entering the Argentinian Blaquier-Arrieta collection in 1975, depicts chestnut trees blooming in a blue sky, with women walking by on parasols and wearing Japanese-inspired attire.
The record for a Van Gogh at auction is $117.2 million, achieved in 2022 by Christie's New York during the Paul Allen sale.
Paul Cézanne's "Arlequin," a vibrant painting from his harlequin series modeled on his son and inspired by Mardi Gras parades from his childhood in Aix-en-Provence, is also set to be auctioned. It is one of only four such examples known to exist, having been shown to the public only once since 1975. Before being acquired by the Blaquier and Arrieta families in 1975, the painting had been owned by notable art dealers like Ambroise Vollard, Paul Durand-Ruel, and Paul Rosenberg.
It had also hung at Merton Hall in Cambridge, the former family home of the British Rothschild family. If "Arlequin" exceeds its estimate, it could potentially set a new artist record at auction.
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