Auction house Sotheby's put on auction a rare sculpture by Edgar Degas «Little Dancer chetyrnadtsatiletnyaya», belonging to one of Britain's wealthiest businessmen, Sir John Madeyski (John Madejski). Organizers are planning for it to gain up to 12 million pounds. Its minimum value is estimated at 9 million pounds.

This work - one of the 28 castings made from bronze in 1922, after the death of the artist. Her original was created around 1879-1881 years of wax and fabric, and in 1881 was used at the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition in Paris. Then «dancer» shocked the audience of its presence. Now she is in the collections of the spouses Mellon (Mellon), and exhibited at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. Most of the castings made from it are stored in the largest museum collections of the world, such as the London Tate Gallery, the Paris Museum d'Orse, the New York Metropolitan Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Another dozen casts remain in private collections.

«Because it was the only sculpture that Degas exhibited in his entire life, she holds a special place in the artist's works. At that time it was considered very modern and incredibly alive », - said in a telephone interview with Helena Newman (Helena Newman), a specialist auction house Sotheby's of Impressionist and modern works.

John Madeyski, recently received the title Knight for his significant contribution to charity, as well as a well-known in football circles, purchased the bronze sculpture at Sotheby's auction in London in February 2004 for 5 million pounds. Later «Little Dancer» exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Collectors and art dealers can purchase this valuable work at an auction of works of the Impressionists and modernists Sotheby's, which will be held Feb. 3 in London.

material produced Catherine Onuchin

Sources: bloomberg.com , guardian.co.uk , telegraph.co.uk , artinvestment.ru