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New York (dpa) - The two major competing auction houses in the US - Sotheby's and Christie's - are gunning for high-end buyers and collectors when spring sales begin on Tuesday on famous paintings and artworks that could fetch tens of millions of dollars.
Christie's expects to sell Vincent van Gogh's "L'Arlesienne, Madame Ginoux" (1890) for 40 million dollars to 60 million dollars, which is one of the most recognizable faces in paintings.
Madame Ginoux, a bistro owner in Arles, was the subject of intensive drawings and paintings by van Gogh and his friend Paul Gauguin during a period the latter was recovering from his trips to the Pacific.
Christie's has two Picassos, one is a Blue-period portrait named "Germaine" (1902) which the auction house estimates at 12 million dollars to 18 million dollars. The other, named "Repose", is considered a portrait of Picasso's mistress, Marie-Therese Walter, which he painted in 1932. Repose could fetch 15 million dollars to 20 million dollars.
On Wednesday, Sotheby's will put on sale "Dora Maar With Cat" (1941), a Picasso that could bring up to 50 million dollars. She was also one of Picasso's mistresses. News reports said the painting has been owned by Chicago's Gidwitz family for the past 40 years and auctioning it would be a gamble. But the family has been assured of the price.
Other paintings to be auctioned by Sotheby's include Henry Matisse's "Reclining Nude, View of Her Back" (1927), estimated at 12 million dollars.
Tyco International's disgraced former executive L. Dennis Kozlowski has asked Sotheby's to sell two French paintings, a Renoir and Monet, apparently to pay up debt accumulated during his trial for US tax evasion. He was found guilty on multiple counts of grand larceny and other charges, broadcast reports said.
Sales at the two auction houses will continue next week. Christie's will include in its total 94 lots sculptures from Donald Judd who wants to raise funds to create a permanent endowment in New York and Texas. The sculptures run from 30,000 dollars to 2 million dollars.
Sotheby's will sell a Roy Lichtenstein, "Sinking Sun" (1964), for 20 million dollars.
Andy Warhol's "Small Torn Campbell's Soup Can (Pepper Pot)" (1962) was expected to bring 15 million dollars.
Copyright 2006 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
