On the evening auction Christie's “The Art of Impressionism and Modernism” will be exhibited two portraits painted by Pablo Picasso, as well as rare works by Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti and Alexei Yavlenskogo

May 6, 2009 in New York will be held the evening auction Christie's «The Art of Impressionism and Modernism», which will put about 50 works of artists and sculptors of XIX-XX centuries. Among the top auction lots are outstanding works of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miro, Max Ernst, Tamara Tamara de Lempitska , Henry Moore, Yavlenskogo and Egon Schiele. Total estimeyt put on the auction lots is 94 million dollars.

Monumental (over one meter in height) painted canvas by Max Ernst (1891-1976), entitled «Curse mothers» ( estimeyt 7-9 million dollars ) 1928 was purchased present owner around 1974 and since then has never appeared on the market. This work is a surreal interpretation of the traditional story artist: Madonna, holding the child in her arms. Ernst wrote a series of works on the subject. «As, according to said Rambo, a man of ordinary build, I always made every effort to turn his life into a monster» (Max Ernst. «On the other side of art». 1937). The painting recognizable silhouettes loving Mother and baby are fantastic shape surreal anthropomorphic figures engaged each other in the dubious embrace. The figure of a man in the lower right corner of the painting is ready to accede to these arms. In order to enhance the dramatic effect of the artist deprived background of any recognizable parts and pieces seem to be floating on a blue background. Echoes of techniques used by Ernst in this work, guessed in the works of Francis Bacon. Today, a record price for the work of Ernst is 2.38 million (set in February 2008 at Christie's auction for the work «Making fire» in 1937).

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Late portraits painted by Picasso

Among the top lots upcoming auction of special interest are two portraits (one male and one female) Brushes Picasso (1881-1973), which features portraits of both models have some similarity with the characteristics of the artist. In this portrait «musketeer with tube» ( 12-18 million dollars ), written in 1968, Picasso depicts himself, and the adoption of one of its most popular faces - longhaired musketeers in camisole with lace collar. Painting «Woman in a Hat» , written by August 26, 1971, has amazing energy inherent in the latest works by the artist, and participated in the second large-scale exhibition devoted to the late works of Picasso. The exhibition opened in May 1973 in the Palais de avinonskom Dad, one month after the death of the artist. At the auction the canvas from the collection exhibited a famous artist and director, nominated for the prize «Oscar», Julian Shnabelya. Describing his impressions of the painting, Julian Shnabel said: «Women's figure inscribed in the framework of canvases very organically. The work can be seen as a self-portrait to the same extent as a portrait of women - by Picasso gave him his own line ».

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Masterpieces era jazz

Picturesque style Tamara Tamara de Lempitska (1898-1980), which were characterized by elements of French Cubism, purism, neo-classical and Italian Mannerism, glorified urban beauty, was a synonym for the era of jazz. At the next auction exhibited two works of artist - «Pink shirt I» 1927 ( 1,3-1,8 million dollars ) and «Portrait of Madame M.», 1932 ( 6-8 million U.S. ). The second time the portrait was one of the last large-scale canvases, executed it to order, thus it can be regarded as a kind of «swan song» artist.

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details of clothing and carefully-designed drapery folds in the background reminiscent of Bernini's Baroque masterpieces. The current record for the work of Tamara de Lempitska was set at Christie's auction in May 2004: canvas «Portrait of Mrs Bush» (1929) was sold for 4.59 million dollars.

Masterpieces from Private Collections

Top-lots of this section are works of Henri Matisse, Alberto Giacometti and Joan Miro . All three are masterpieces - paintings and two sculptures - come from the private collection Kerel Dzhimbel Lebvort known New York art patron, whose collection was a lot of works of leading artists and sculptors of the XIX and XX centuries.

Estimeyt rare bronze bust on a narrow pedestal «Bust of Diego (Stella III)» Alberto Giacometti is 4,5-6,5 million dollars. This bust has been part of a collection of family Lebvort in 1959 and since then over 35 years was not available to the public eye.

«Nude with a white towel» Henri Matisse ( 2-3 million dollars ) - this is a magnificent specimen protofovistskogo period of the artist. Participated in landmark exhibitions that took place in Europe and the United States, including the Matisse retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1992.

«Model of Character» Joan Miro ( 300-400 thousand dollars ) is a unique model for monumental sculptures and comic female figure. This model, created in 1971, quotes the elements of earlier sculptures by Miro and at the same time, goes back to the way Mother groteskovomu Ubyu - character plays Antonin Artaud «King Ubyu».

Cloth exceptional rarity brush Alexei Yavlenskogo called «odalisque» from the collection of Evelyn Annenberga valued by experts at the auction house 4-6,5 million dollars. The painting is in private hands since 1958. Among the other paintings of the same assembly it should be noted a picture of Camille Pissarro «Collection of apples», 1881 ( 1,4-1,8 million dollars ) and his work «Harlequin» ( 600-800 thousands of dollars ) - watercolor study, dating back to 1915 year. In addition, the auction will be billed on canvas by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec «Madame Nathanson» 1897 ( 2-3 million dollars ).

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From the collection of Serge and Valley Sabranskih for auction exhibited three works by Egon Schiele, who most recently was part of the exhibition, held in the Neue Galerie (private museum Ronald Lauder) in New York. «Three pieces» (1913) - a double self-portrait of the artist, which also shows his friend Wally Noyzel ( 0,8-1,2 million dollars ). «Woman in jacket and black stockings» (1917) is part of a series of sketches, written with a young model ( 500-700 thousand dollars ). The third piece of the artist, trade is the «heart» (1918), estimated at 200-300 thousand dollars.

Sculpture

As in the case of a bust of the work of Giacometti, Henry Moore bronze sculpture «Falling Warrior» ( 2,5-3,5 million dollars ) was purchased directly from the artist after as was cast in 1957 and has since remained one of the European collections. Other versions of this sculpture in the Tate Gallery in London and the Art Institute of Chicago. In addition, the auction is exposed bronze composition by Rembrandt Bugatti, depicting two deer and fawn ( 350-450 thousand dollars ) as well as two sculptures of Jacques Lipschitz , embodied the principles developed by the sculptor through kubisticheskogo Heritage Picasso and GRIS. «Harlequin with accordion» ( 700-900 thousand dollars ) - this is one of the first sculptures in one of the most famous series of figures kubisticheskih created Lipszyc, while «Seated bather» ( 500 -700 thousand dollars ) - this is an earlier work, noting a new phase in the works of the sculptor (1916 - early 1920's).

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Source: Press Releases Christie's