Van Gogh's 'Parisian Novels' (November-December 1887) will be the leading lot in the Pritzker sale at Sotheby's, New York on 20 November, with an estimate of $40 million. The still life, depicting 22 books and three pink roses, has been consigned by the estate of Cindy Pritzker, who died in March at age 101. The painting was created during Van Gogh's time living with his brother Theo in Paris and was among the first three works publicly exhibited during his lifetime, at the Société des Artistes Indépendants in March 1888. The Pritzker collection sale also includes 36 other works estimated at $120 million, featuring pieces by Paul Gauguin and Henri Matisse.
The sale is significant because 'Parisian Novels' is expected to become the most expensive Van Gogh painting from his Paris period, surpassing the current record of $33.2 million set by 'Corner of a Garden with Butterflies' at Christie's last year. The painting's provenance adds historical depth: it was owned by Italian artist Antonio Mancini, later by a Swiss collection, sold at Christie's in 1988 for over £7 million, acquired by Robert Holmes à Court, and purchased by the Pritzkers in 1994. The work was lent to major exhibitions at London's Royal Academy of Arts and the Art Institute of Chicago, where Cindy Pritzker was a major supporter and funded the Pritzker Wing.