+34
Vincent van Gogh's Chataigniers en fleurs, valued at 180m dollars, has gone on display at Sotheby's in London before an auction of 12 impressionist and modern masterpieces from the Blaquier-Arrieta collection expected to fetch over 450m dollars.
A painting by Vincent van Gogh, created during the last two months of his life, has gone on display before it is put up for auction with a value of 180m dollars, equivalent to 136m pounds.
Chataigniers en fleurs, or Chestnut Tree in Flower, was painted in May 1890 shortly after Van Gogh arrived in the French village of Auvers-sur-Oise. He died just weeks later. The work is one of 12 impressionist and modern masterpieces from the collection of the late Argentinian collector Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier, who died in 2020. The collection was held in private hands for more than 50 years and has not been seen in public in decades.
A Legendary Private Art Collection
The collection has an almost mythical status and was likened to a miniature version of Paris's Musee d'Orsay. Philip Hook, a former director of impressionist and modern art at the auction house Sotheby's and a regular expert on BBC One's Antiques Roadshow, said the opening of the collection to buyers was a historic moment.
For decades the Blaquier-Arrieta collection has been the stuff of legend: whispered about, kept from public view, it has attained an almost mythical status in the art world, he said. One of the last great private collections of impressionist and post-impressionist art, it was formed when major examples by the great names were still within reach, Hook added. The Sotheby's auction will also include Paul Cezanne's Harlequin, painted in the late 19th century and valued at 150m dollars.
It will be sold along with 10 other significant works by Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin, Alfred Sisley, Andre Derain, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Maurice de Vlaminck. All 12 paintings, which are expected to fetch more than 450m dollars in total, went on display at Sotheby's in London on Wednesday for two days. They will then be flown to Taipei, followed by Hong Kong and Paris, before the auction on 18 November in New York.
Van Gogh's Chestnut Tree Provenance
Van Gogh painted at least four major works featuring chestnut trees in Auvers-sur-Oise during a period of optimism and energy after his discharge from a psychiatric hospital at Saint-Remy-de-Provence. After Van Gogh's death in July 1890, Chataigniers en fleurs passed to his brother, Theo. A subsequent owner was George Gard Buddy DeSylva, the US songwriter and film producer who co-founded Capitol Records.
Simon Shaw, a senior art adviser at Sotheby's, said the collection felt like a small museum, a miniature Musee d'Orsay, now opening its doors for the very first time. Most Van Gogh works from this period now hang in the world's leading museums, making the appearance of Chataigniers en fleurs at auction especially rare.
Chataigniers En Fleurs Sotheby's Auction Blaquier-Arrieta Collection Impressionist Art
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Turner Painting of Rome Expected to Set Auction RecordJ.M.W. Turner's Rome, From Mount Aventine will be displayed in Rome, Hong Kong, and New York before being auctioned by Sotheby's in London on 9 December. Expected to sell for £50 million, the unusually well-preserved painting could become the artist's most expensive work at auction.
Read more »
Why you shouldn’t rush to value your property ahead of 2027 tax changeThe message is simple: don’t panic and don’t pay for a valuation now.
Read more »
BESIX Watpac and John Holland Advance to Next Stage for Brisbane Stadium ConstructionThe joint venture of BESIX Watpac and John Holland has progressed to the next phase of the contract process for the new 63,000-seat stadium, with construction slated to begin in late 2027. Designed by Cox, Hassell, and Azusa Sekkei, the project aims to enhance Victoria Park while honoring its Indigenous heritage, as officials express confidence in delivering value and quality for the upcoming Games.
Read more »