A Picasso that could be a new record is auctioned

“The Woman with a Watch”, a painting that Pablo Picasso painted in 1932 and which will be auctioned today by Sotheby’s of NY, could break a new record for the Malaga artist. The work, which comes out with a base of 120 million dollars, belonged to Emily Fisher Landau, one of the largest private collectors in the world who died last March at the age of 102. To reach the record, “The Woman with a Watch” should surpass the 179.5 million that “The Women of Algiers” obtained in 2015 at the competition house, Christie’s.

Autumn Auctions NY, which began last night, also include works by Rothko and Monet, and even a collectible Ferrari. However, according to specialists, it is unlikely that Christie’s and Sotheby’s the same in the 2022 results, the year of all records, with sales that exceeded 16,000 million dollars.

“It is not the highest moment in the market, but it is still very strong“said Emily Kaplan, head of the 20th century fall sales at Christie’s, which until November 11 hopes to raise between 723 and 1,000 million dollars.

Fisher Landau purchased this portrait from Marie-Therese Walter (the “woman with watch” in the painting, who was considered his “golden muse”) in 1968, and was “the stone cornerstone of his collection for more than five decades”Sotheby’s explained.

Friend and patron of contemporary American artists, in 2010 donated more than 400 works to the Whitney Museum in New Yorkand many others make up the Fisher Landau Center for Art in Long Island City.

Another highlight of the offer from the competing house Christie’s, tomorrow, is “Le bassin aux nymphéas” by Claude Monet, with a starting price of 65 million dollars. “A work of museum quality in private hands”says specialist Imogen Kerr.

Added to this is a work of Mark Rothkopainted in 1955, one of the most dazzling moments of one of the greatest figures of American abstract expressionism, valued at 45 million.

There is no shortage of works by the American in the offer Joan Mitchellother works of Pablo Picassoas “Sleeping Woman”, or the “Portrait of Cristina, my sister” by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, a unique work, valued at 8 dollars and another oil painting by Tamara de Lémpicka, “Kizette en rose II” (7 million).

But one of the great attractions will be a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTOvalued at more than 60 million dollars. Owned by an American collector for 40 years, this example from the Italian manufacturer is destined to become the most expensive Ferrari 250 GTO ever sold: In 2018 Sotheby’s sold a similar model for $48 million.

And if it sells for the estimated price, could become the second most expensive car in the worldbehind one of two specimens of the Mercedes Coupe 300 SLR Uhlenhaut from 1955sold for 135 million euros by Sotheby’s.