Sotheby's announced that Modigliani's 'Nu assis au collier' (1917), estimated at £45 million ($60.6 million), will headline the single-owner auction of portraits from British billionaire Joe Lewis's collection. The painting, one of only seven full nudes from Modigliani's scandalous 1917 solo show that was shut down by police for indecency, returns to auction for the first time in over 30 years. Sotheby's specialist Oliver Barker noted rising interest in Modigliani, citing Johnny Depp's 2024 biopic and a new catalogue raisonné by Marc Restellini. The work last sold in 1995 for $12.4 million and will be offered on June 24, with public viewing in London from June 10–23.
The sale matters because it tests the upper limits of the Modigliani market, which already holds a $170 million auction record. The painting's rarity—only 30–35 nudes among Modigliani's 300-plus works—and its sensational provenance (once owned by Joe Lewis and previously by New York lawyer Ralph F. Colin) make it a bellwether for high-end Impressionist and Modern art demand. Art advisor Megan Fox Kelly noted that scarcity and sustained interest from sophisticated collectors suggest the market has not yet peaked, making this a key indicator for the spring auction season.