New York May Sales of Modern & Contemporary Art 2017

Although Frieze Art Fair New York, which brings together some of the best modern and contemporary art galleries in the world, is already closed and will return only in May 2018, international experts, dealers, museums, and art collectors still have a lot of work ahead of them. Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips spring sales are just around the corner!

It is worth noting that for the past several years, the major auction houses have been trying to organize their Impressionist & Modern Art and Post-War & Contemporary Art sales in such a way that they follow one another, which makes art lovers’ stay in New York more comfortable and productive.

This year, New York spring sales start with Christie’s Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale that will be held at Rockefeller Center on May 15. Pablo Picasso’s paintings are expected to be the highlights of the auction. They include “Femme assise, robe bleue” estimated at $35-50 million and “Femme assise dans un fauteuil” estimated at $20-30 million. Among other important lots are a bronze sculpture “La muse endormie” by Constantin Brancusi, which is estimated at $25-35 million, and a beautiful piece of Claude Monet’s oil paintings titled “La route de Vetheuil, effet de neige,” which is estimated at $10-15 million.

Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale will be held on May 16. The highlight of the auction is a unique group of sculptures from the David and Laura Finn family art collection. It includes Alberto Giacometti’s “Buste de Diego” estimated at $10-15 million, Henry Moore’s “Seated Woman” estimated at $4-6 million, Jean Arp’s “Torse des Pyrenees” estimated at $1.5-2.5 million, Germaine Richier’s “Don Quichotte” also estimated at $1.5-2.5 million, and Marino Marini’s “Guerriero (Warrior)” estimated at $700,000-1,000,000. Among other highlights are such outstanding paintings as “Danae” by Egon Schiele, which is estimated at $30-40 million, and “Le Bassin aux Nympheas” by Claude Monet, which is estimated at $14-18 million.

Francis Bacon’s “Three Studies for a Portrait of George Dyer” from the art collection that once belonged to the famous writer Roald Dahl, Cy Twombly’s “Leda and the Swan,” and Jean-Michel Basquiat’s “La Hara” will go under the hammer at Christie’s New York Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale on May 17. These amazing paintings are estimated at $50-70 million, $35-55 million, and $22-28 million respectively. Other top lots include “Red and White Brushstrokes” by Roy Lichtenstein, which is estimated at $25-35 million, and “Untitled” by Christopher Wool, which is estimated at $15-20 million.

Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction with its outstanding selection of fine art works from the post-war period to the present will be held on May 18. Among the highlights are Roy Lichtenstein’s “Nude Sunbathing” estimated at $20 million and Gerhard Richter’s “Abstraktes Bild” estimated at $12-18 million.

As for Phillips 20th Century and Contemporary Art Evening Sale that will also be held on May 18, it is distinguished by a whole range of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s paintings. However, the most highly estimated lot in this contemporary art sale is another piece of Gerhard Richter’s modern abstract art titled “Abstraktes Bild (811-1),” which is expected to be sold for at least $15 million.