Painting «Suprematist composition», placed at the evening auction at Sotheby's New York - one of five works, the artist returned to heirs Amsterdam museum Stedeleyk. Estimeyt works - $ 60 million

Auction Impressionist and Modern works of Sotheby's, which will be held in New York on November 3, fit to call almost «sales year». Each week, Sotheby's gives another sensation: first, it was announced that the auction will be posted «Vampire» Munch ( Edvard Munch) with estimeytom 35 million dollars, then became aware that there will be Kazimir Malevich . Estimeytom picture exceeds even heavyweight work of Picasso and Munch: experts evaluated it in 60 million dollars.

How easy to guess, «Suprematist composition» - one of five masterpieces by Malevich, who this spring Amsterdam Stedeleyk Museum (Stedelijk Museum) by heirs of the artist . The painting was painted in 1916 and first shown at an exhibition in Moscow three years later. In 1927 she exhibited in Warsaw and Berlin, which held its first solo exhibition for artist of Russia. The trip abroad was very fruitful for Malevitch: he not only was able to familiarize themselves with their creativity Europe, but also met with prominent artists of that time working in Germany. But in June 1927, the Soviet authorities suddenly raised the artist to their homeland. Pochuyav amiss, Malevich had decided to leave his paintings in Germany and gave them to the storage architect Heringu Hugo (Hugo Häring). Artist did not have to pack their creations: more abroad than it produced. Soviet authors such as Malevich, were not to your liking. No one knows how a painting would be the fate if the artist took them to the Union. Most likely, they would rot in the storerooms of a provincial museum.

While in Germany, 1930's paintings of Malevich, too, was in danger. For Hitler and his accomplices had any abstract art «degenerative», and the masterpieces of Suprematism zamayachila seriously the prospect to be burned at the stake, along with works by Kandinsky , Klee (Paul Klee) and the other great modernists. Hering gave possession to the Director of the Museum Hannover Alexander Dorner (Alexander Dorner), which sold some of them are director of the New York Museum of Modern Art Barru Alfred (Alfred Barr). The remaining items sold Hering in 1958, the museum Stedeleyk. More than thirty years, they quietly hung in the museum and served as one of its main «primanok», while in 1993, not declared the German art historian Clement Toussaint (Clement Toussaint), decided to find the real heirs of Malevich and restore historical justice.

Initially, the heirs have accepted for MoMA, but the New York museum off relatively easy: of the 16 paintings of Malevich returned only one (too «Suprematist composition»), but for the rest to pay compensation. The parties agreed in June 1999 and less than a year later, the picture has already been offered for auction. At the tender Phillips de Pury, passed in May 2000, the picture easily surpassed estimeyt to $ 10 million and went for 17 million, becoming the the most expensive work of Malevich in history . This prompted the heirs prizadumatsya, and the next time they decide to take no money, and pictures. Four years of continued battle between heirs and museum Stedeleyk, and in the spring of 2008 the court ruled in favor of the first. In that work soon appear on any major auction, there was no doubt. So, commenced. 3 November professionals art market in the world, turn our eyes on New York: it is decided the fate «Suprematist composition». Will find it a new owner or not? If found, the Malevich could become the second or even first in the list of sponsors of the most expensive works of artists of Russian origin. Now in the first place they inhabit Mark Rothko (Mark Rothko) , whose «White Center» has been sold last year for 72.8 million dollars, while the second - Russian Vasily Kandinsky with the result 22, 99 million per picture «Fuga». To surpassed Rothko and Malevich moved from fifth place at first, «Suprematist composition» shall be amount exceeding estimeyt at 13-15 million dollars.

3 October at the London office of Sotheby's opened an exhibit where you can see already acquired legendary status picture of Malevich. From 29 October to 3 November, she will be on display in New York.

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova

Sources: bloomberg.com , sothebys.com , artinvestment.ru