MODIGLIANI PORTRAIT TO FEATURE IN BONHAMS IMPRESSIONIST & MODERN ART AUCTION
Bonhams Impressionist & Modern Art auction on Tuesday 21st June will include an exciting selection of works by artists including Boudin, Modigliani, Chagall, Picasso, Renoir and Miro.
The current highlight of the sale is Portrait de Femme by the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani which was painted circa 1917-1918. Modigliani is renowned for his portraits of women, and this is a fine example which comes to the market from the Grace Vogel Aldworth Trust. It is estimated to fetch £1.5-2.5 million.
Nu, Etude pour ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’ (1907) by Pablo Picasso is also expected to generate a lot of interest. The watercolour and gouache study is one of a number of works that Picasso created in preparation for his finished masterpiece, and is recognisable as the figure on the lower right of the final composition. The study manages to communicate the sense of violent energy that Picasso's final picture stands for, and reflects the influence of African tribal art on his work. It is estimated to fetch £300,000-500,000. Other Picasso works in the sale include Tête de matador (£150,000-200,000), Femme nue assise (£165,000-175,000) and Personnages (£20,000-30,000).
A further highlight of the sale is L'Écuyère bleu au coq rouge by Marc Chagall. This watercolour and bodycolour work on paper displays the dream like and playful qualities prevalent in the artist’s work and is expected to sell for £60,000-80,000.
With their bright colours and sunny scenes, Carlos Nadal’s (1917-1998) works often prove popular at auction. He has been described as ‘the last wild expressionist of Spain’ and the influence of the Fauvist painters is evident in his paintings. Fenetre Ouverte has attracted a pre-sale estimate of £20,000-30,000.
Another Spanish artist Oscar Dominguez (1906-1958), was influenced by Salvador Dali in his early works, but he later developed his own Surrealist style and experimented with automatism and decalcomania. Paisaje Cósmico orCosmic Landscape, fuses the disparate elements of Dominguez’s personality and the concerns of the wider Surrealist group into one dreamscape. The realistic draughtsmanship of flowing lava pays heed to the volcanic eruptions and landslides that were part of the landscape of Dominguez’s homeland in the Canary Islands, yet the composition itself is rich in the spirit of Surrealist automatism. The painting was initially owned by Eduardo Westerdahl, the main patron of the small Surrealist movement in the Canary Islands, and it is estimated to fetch £100,000-150,000.
Deborah Allan, of Bonhams Impressionist and Modern Art Department comments, “We are delighted to be offering a selection of important Impressionist and Modern art works for sale in our forthcoming 21st June sale, and expect there to be a lot of interest from around the globe.”
Bonhams
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further five throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Boston in the USA; Toronto, Canada; and France, Monaco, Hong Kong, Australia and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. By the end of 2009, Bonhams had become UK market leaders in ten key specialist collecting areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com
