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Upcoming Auction Highlights!

  • The works span a range of styles and periods offering a glimpse into the artistic evolution.
  • James McNeill Whistler’s early portrait of Lucas Alexander Ionides is estimated between £80,000-£120,000.

James McNeill Whistler, Portrait of Lucas Alexander Lonides (1859)
19th Century and British Impressionist Art, Bonhams, London, 25 September
Estimate: £80,000-£120,000

This early portrait by James McNeill Whistler features Lucas Alexander Ionides, a close friend and art patron. Ionides, from a wealthy Greek family in London supported Whistler by buying his works especially when Whistler needed financial help. Ionides wrote fondly about their relationship, mentioning that their disagreements were mostly about art. This painting shows the influence of French painters like Courbet during this period. The painting remained in the Ionides family for generations before being finally sold in 1968. It was displayed in an Arts Council exhibition in London and New York in 1960 but hasn’t been in public ever since.

Antony Gormley, Quantum Cloud XI (2000)
Gen One: Innovations from Paul G. Allen Collection, Christie’s, New York, 10 September
Estimate: $250,000-$350,000

Antony Gormley’s Quantum Cloud XI is a part of his Quantum Cloud series, which uses fractal geometry to explore human forms through the lens of quantum physics. The sculpture reflects Paul G. Allen’s interest in science and the groundbreaking ideas of the physicist Basil Hiley. Allen’s collection is known for its influential works including this piece amongst other significant artworks. Another sculpture from this series is located near London’s O2 Arena and is nearly 30 meters tall.

Ben Enwonwu, The Emir in Council (1945-59)
Modern and Contemporary African Art, Sotheby’s, London, 27 September
Estimate: £70,000-£90,000

Ben Enwonwu’s The Emir in Council was recently rediscovered by an art historian who purchased it from a Lisbon gallery. Previously known since the 1990s, it was part of a Belgian private collection from being identified. Painted during Enwonwu’s time at The Slade and completed before the Nigerian Independence, it showcases the Emir of Kano with his advisers and colonial guards.

Sayed Haider Raza, Terra Amata (1984)
Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art, Sotheby’s, London, 26 September
Estimate: £2m-£4m

Terra Amata by Sayed Haider Raza comes from the famous collection of Chester and Davida Herwitz. It was last sold in 2000 for $55,375. The painting has been exhibited widely including at Halles de I’IIe in Geneva in 1987. It will appear in an updated catalog of Raza’s work. Sotheby’s achieved a record for Raza in March 2024 with the sale of Kalliste (1959) for $5.6 million, surpassing its estimate of $2-3 million.