Top lots include a massive canvas Joan Miro, 1933, a recently discovered masterpiece by Gustav Klimt and not previously exhibited a winter landscape by Claude Monet

February 8, 2012 at London's evening auction Sotheby's «The Impressionists and the art of the twentieth century" will be presented to a group of unique works. Among the top lots - a monumental composition Joan Miro "Painting" in 1933 with an estimate 7-10 million pounds (estimate does not include a premium customer) recently discovered landscape by Gustav Klimt "Birches on the lake" (est. 6.8 million pounds), not to appear in public more than a hundred years, a rare winter landscape by Claude Monet "The onset of winter in Giverny" (estimate: 4.5-6.5 million pounds), one of the most typical of Fernand Leger 1940 painting "Girl with a ladder» . The auction also will be offered an impressive group of works from the surrealist works by Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, Giorgio de Chirico, Yves Tanguy and Rene Magritte, as well as first-class works of German Expressionists, among them - the work of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde, Lyonel Feininger, Otto Dix. Expected estimate of upcoming trades above 78 million pounds.

Head of Impressionist and twentieth-century art Sotheby's, Europe, Helena Newman said: "We are thrilled to be able to offer collectors bidding of such quality and diversity, the inclusion of a number of museum-quality works that represent key periods in the history of art, from Impressionism. Some of the first to appear on the auction, at the same time on the tender will be issued a number of products that are returned to the market after a long stay in private collections ».

Joan Miro Painting. 1933 oil on canvas Estimate: £ 7-10 million Source: Press Release Sotheby's

visionary masterpiece of modernism Joan Miro - monumental composition "Painting," V7-estimated 10 million pounds - is considered one of the most important and at the same time refined paintings in the history of modern art, one of the highest of his achievements. This song is one of the few paintings that have not yet stored in the large museums. Miro wrote it in Paris in 1933, the most fruitful period, when his work is no longer dependent on any trends and has become a unique architectural style. Miro perceived his work this time as a breakthrough, considering them in a letter to Matisse as "a great success, worthy of being a red day calendar in my work." Equally high was to evaluate a new stage in the work of Miro by professional critics, which marked a decisive turn in his career.

Claude Monet The onset of winter in Giverny. 1885 Estimate: 4.5-6.5 million pounds Source: Press Release Sotheby's

top lot at the auction will not exhibited publicly in 1924 by Claude Monet painting «The onset of winter in Giverny" (estimate: 4.5-6.5 million pounds) with image of snow-covered road to Giverny - the little town near Paris, which became synonymous with the time of the most innovative achievements of the artist. Monet and his family moved to Giverny in 1883, and presented the picture in 1885 - one of the first and best ever written by the artist of Giverny. Monet's work of this period testify to his interest in the phenomenon of natural variability - in particular, the interest in the winter light, its temporal and tonal gradations. Most of the time this work was in the famous collection of Parisian pharmacist and industrialist Henry Canon, which was formed back in 1920.

Gustav Klimt Birches by the Lake. 1901 Estimate: £ 7-10 million Source: Press Release Sotheby's

After the November evening sale of Impressionist and twentieth-century art at Sotheby's in New York, where the landscape "Litslberg on the Attersee" by Gustav Klimt left behind an impressive 40.4 million (exceeding the estimate by 25 million), one of the top lots of the major evening sale of Impressionist February and twentieth-century art in London will not appear in public more than a century masterpiece by Gustav Klimt "Birches on Lake" in 1901, estimated at 6-8 million pounds. bewitching beauty picture appear at auction in the year of the 150th anniversary of the artist. Landscape "Birches on the lake" was purchased in 1902 from an exhibition in Dusseldorf, known by collectors Richard and Clara Koenigs-Bunge and more than a century remained in the same family. ( more about the history of painting and its recent "discovery" is available here . - AI .).

Fernand Léger A girl with a ladder. 1949 Estimate: 3,8-4,5 million pounds Source: Press Release Sotheby's

«Girl with a ladder," in 1949 (estimate: 3,8-4,5 million pounds) - one of the most typical compositions Fernand Léger 1940. In this work the artist uses expressive and at the same time concise, color palette, not typical of the post-war abstract art. Leger works of this period differ clarity and simplicity as the subjects and forms of their implementation, suggesting the artist's fidelity to the canons of classical aesthetics, as well as his interest in the expressive power of color. Presented at the evening auction also features concise picture of the forms identified a clear black outline, and an intense color palette that is characteristic of the mature period of this master.

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< div class = "imgcenter"> Edouard VUYAR dressmaker. 1890 Estimate: £ 3-5 million Source: Press Release Sotheby's

Composition "dressmaker" (estimate 3-5 million pounds) is recognized as one of the best works of Edouard Vuyara . He wrote it in 1890, at the very beginning of its participation in the "Nabi» , which included artists who have followed Gauguin abandoned the traditional images of nature and developed his own pictorial language. In this work, a surprisingly touching Vuyar conveys the quiet charm of family life, where two women, probably his mother and sister, passionate about the process of sewing. His love for the genre scenes Vuyar probably obliged to the old Dutch and French masters, but the artist, seeking a smaller scale, as the old masters uses modern tools. Characteristic for this period of work Vuyara pulsating color palette, composition and originality of the plastic solutions help topic to look into the creative lab of the artist as an experimental end of the XIX century.

Georges Braque Olive Grove Estimate: 2.3 million pounds Source: Press Release Sotheby's

the first time in its history put up for auction picture Georges Braque «The Olive Grove" (estimate 2-3 million pounds), which provides a unique opportunity to delve into the revolutionary atmosphere of Fauvism in the early twentieth century and at the same time assess the significant contribution of Marriage in this artistic movement. Artist-in-one point fell under the spell of a bright color palette and spontaneous freedom of letters of his contemporaries, including Matisse and Derain. It is this technique could not be better suited for the colorful landscapes of Provence, so different from the familiar to the artist of the port cities of southern France. Fovistsky surge in the creation of the marriage lasted a short time, after which the artist returned to cubism. But precisely because of the rarity of his works fovistskih, they are so important for an objective picture of the formation of modernist painting.

Surrealist Works

Following a record price for the work of surrealists set out at the last auction Sotheby's, auction catalog in the February 8 again included a brilliant collection of works in this direction.

Salvador Dali Oasis Estimate: 4-6 million pounds Source: Press Release Sotheby's

Canonical for Salvador Dali song "Oasis" (estimate 4-6 million pounds) refers to the most successful New York artist and period plays an important role in the hierarchy of surrealist art. "Oasis" as the best work of Dali's mature period, with their sophisticated forms and images, is permeated with an atmosphere of mystery a fantastic landscape. Dali himself has described this song: "There is clearly lovers. On the approach to an oasis in a desert area will materialize Apollo and Venus. Like a desert flower, they grow before the eyes of a rocky barren rocks ».

Giorgio de Chirico Hector and Andromache. 1925-1930 Estimate: 2,8-4 million pounds Source: Press Release Sotheby's

monumental and spectacular in color solution composition 1925-1930 period, "Hector and Andromache" (estimate 2,8-4 million pounds) - one of the best metaphysical works Giorgio De Chirico. It shows why early works by this artist had such a strong influence on the Surrealists. director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Alfred Barr once praised it as "undoubtedly the most powerful of all versions of De Chirico on this topic." De Chirico, developed using the iconography of his metaphysical paintings, antique transforms the story of the "Iliad" of Homer in a meditation on the theme of love and war in the early twentieth century. After World War I, when it created the work, last minute farewell Trojan warrior Hector with his beloved wife Andromache before his departure for the battle was acquiring special significance. In this picture, seamlessly merged into the theme of love and parting, heartlessly machine aesthetics of modern times and metaphysical space. The work has played an important role not only in the future work of the De Chirico, but also in the development of modern art.

Yves Tanguy Double black. 1941 estimate: 2.3 million pounds Source: Press Release Sotheby's

Yves Tanguy Work «Double Black» ( estimate 2.3 million pounds) - evidence of rare subtlety and originality of the language of the author, of course, limits razdvinuvshego modernist painting. The painting, created in 1941, Tanguy is an ideal spectator hyperreality, which served as the main target for the whole movement of surrealism. Tanguy was invited in 1925 in terms of surrealists headed by André Breton, where the highest demonstrated his mastery of them developed a distinctive language of Surrealist painting. In the 1940s, Tanguy reaches new heights in his art - forms take on a more refined shape, and the horizon line, characteristic of his early work, was dissolved in an infinite air-term.

Max Ernst Comedy thirst. 1941 Estimate: 1.2-1.8 million pounds Source: Press Release Sotheby's

«Comedy thirst" (estimate: 1.2-1.8 million pounds ) with its complex composition of the fantastic characters, masterfully woven in spectacular exotic landscape, - a masterpiece Max Ernst of the war period of his work. The artist wrote the scene in 1941, shortly after his arrival in New York, on extraordinary elation before the opening of new features. The mood of the artist is reflected in this film - with its characters in dynamic angles and explosive expression of color, indicative of emotional strength and innovative skills of the artist.

offer German expressionists

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Grove: Albertplats in Dresden. 1911 Estimate: £ 5-7 million Source: Press Release Sotheby's

monumental canvas Ernst Ludwig Kirchner « Grove: Albertplats in Dresden »( estimate 5-7 million pounds ) in 1911 is a combination of expressionist aesthetics in the spirit of" The Bridge ", which included the artist and cosmopolitan atmosphere that gives this work a special charm . It is an unusual and brilliant on the mood of the technique of execution confirms the cityscape unique talent Kirchner, positioning it as the brightest representative of "The Bridge." The picture painted in the same year, when Kirchner and a group of "Bridge" moved from Dresden to Berlin, was one recent works by the master at Dresden theme - the constant in his work throughout the formative period of the artist. Exquisite color palette painting marks a new stage in the work as Kirchner and Expressionism as the direction in general. It was the forerunner of a series of innovative urban forms of the artist, now Berlin.

Alexei Jawlensky girl with a red bow. 1911 Estimate: 3-5 million pounds Source: Press Release Sotheby's

Impressive on the color scheme and rich details, energetically powerful composition «A girl with a red ribbon" (estimate 3-5 million pounds) refers to the period of rapprochement with the artist group "Blue Rider" and reflects the range of formal and stylistic problems, agitated both the von Jawlensky, and German avant-garde early twentieth century. During this period the artist chooses not to specify the names of his works, thus focusing on the potential emotional impact of color as such.

Helena Newman, head of Impressionist and twentieth-century art Sotheby's, Europe, says "We are happy that we can offer this excellent work, which confirms the key role of von Jawlensky in German expressionism.