Van Gogh painting could sell for $50 million at Hong Kong auction this month
Vincent van Gogh's late 19th-century painting "Les canots amarrés" (The Anchored Boats) will be auctioned at the end of September for the first time in 30 years. The painting is expected to sell for up to HK$380 million ($50 million) at Christie's 20th and 21st Century Evening Auction, which will inaugurate the house's new Asian headquarters in Hong Kong on September 26. The Dutch artist's landscape painting was long owned by the royal family of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, who are now parting with the precious painting this fall, service provider for the international art trade Artnet reports.
Vincent Van Gogh’s “Les canots amarrés” (Moored Boats) is poised to make history as it heads to auction at Christie’s Hong Kong this September. This iconic painting is expected to…
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The painting can be traced back to Van Gogh's time in France. It was created in 1887 during his two-year stay in Paris. That year, Van Gogh spent the summer in Asnières, a suburb of Paris, and captured the river landscape there, including boats, beaches, and more, in his work.
“A diverse range of artistic traditions inspired Van Gogh’s creative journey. Van Gogh’s approach was influenced by Impressionism and Pointillism, and his perspective was further widened by Ukiyo-e prints from Asia. In turn, his artistic language opened so many doors for the artists to come in the following century. Les canots amarrés is renowned for its striking colours and intricate brushwork, characteristic of Van Gogh’s distinct style, making it a standout piece in any collection," Jacky Ho, Deputy Head of Department, 20th/21st Century Art at Christie’s Asia Pacific, said about Van Gogh's painting.
The romantic landscape painting is one of the most expensive works by Van Gogh ever auctioned in Asia, fetching several million euros. According to Artnet, the current auction record for the artist was set in 2021 for a still life at a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong: Vase with Gladioli, which sold for HK$71 million ($9.1 million).
The Dutch artist's work is being sold by Princess Camilla of the Bourbon Two-Sicilies family, who owns the painting through a family trust, and Mr. Abraham, who is a trustee of the family.
The Christie's auction also features other European artists for sale, such as Monet's Nymphéas, which is expected to fetch HK$200 to 280 million ($25 to $35 million), and Chinese-French painter Zao Wou-Ki's abstract work 05.06.80-Triptyque from the 1980s, which is estimated to fetch up to HK$128 million ($10 to $15 million).