Van Gogh Masterpiece Unseen for 60 Years Draws Crowds in Hong Kong
‘Chestnut Trees in Blossom’ Heads to New York Auction with an Estimated Price of $180 Million
Vincent van Gogh’s Chestnut Trees in Blossom attracts visitors in Hong Kong ahead of its Sotheby’s auction
HONG KONG: Hundreds of art lovers queued in Hong Kong on Tuesday to view a Vincent van Gogh painting that has not been publicly exhibited for more than six decades. The artwork is expected to fetch around $180 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on November 18.
The sale will test demand in the high-end art market. Collectors continue to compete for rare masterpieces despite wider economic uncertainty.
Painted in May 1890, Châtaigniers en fleurs, also known as Chestnut Trees in Blossom, dates from the final months of Van Gogh’s life. The Dutch artist painted it in Auvers-sur-Oise, France, where he died about two months later at the age of 37.
Scott Niichel of Sotheby’s modern and contemporary art department in New York said the painting could set a new auction record for a Van Gogh work.
He described it as a vibrant work that captures optimism, energy, passion and colour during the artist’s final period.
Rare Work Attracts International Attention
Paintings from Van Gogh’s final period in Auvers-sur-Oise rarely appear on the market. The upcoming sale is therefore expected to attract interest from collectors, museums and investors.
Li Shanshan, a 50-year-old art enthusiast, travelled around two and a half hours from Shenzhen to see the painting in person.
She said she had not heard of the artwork before and wanted to view it with her own eyes.
The painting features a large chestnut tree covered in blossoms. Its expansive flowering canopy dominates the composition.
Sotheby’s will offer the work as part of a collection of 12 paintings that have remained out of public view for decades. The collection also includes works by Paul Cézanne and Claude Monet.
Five paintings from the collection were unveiled at Sotheby’s in London in late September. They included Cézanne’s Arlequin and Monet’s Le Jardin des Tuileries.
A Painting with a Long History
After Van Gogh died in July 1890, the painting passed to his brother Theo. It later went to Theo’s widow, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, and their son, Vincent Willem.
German publisher Samuel Fischer, founder of S. Fischer Verlag, subsequently owned the work. It later entered the collection of George “Buddy” DeSylva, an American songwriter, film producer and co-founder of Capitol Records.
Collector Harriet Harris-Jonas acquired the painting in 1953. Her collection was considered important enough for New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to arrange visits for patrons to view works in her Fifth Avenue apartment.
In 1975, the Blaquier family acquired the painting from the art dealer Wildenstein.
The November auction will bring renewed attention to a work from one of the most closely studied periods of Van Gogh’s career. Its estimated price also places it among the major works expected to test the international market for fine art.
