Giovanna Bertazzoni, Vice Chairman, 20^th / 21^st Century Art Department, Christie’s: “Christie’s 20/21 March season launches our auction programme for the year with a robust presentation of blue-chip works of the 20^th Century from prestigious provenances, showcased alongside exciting creations by the most sought-after artists active today. The majesty of Claude Monet’s view of the Seine is placed in dialogue with David Hockney’s iconic image of California. Masterpieces by Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Michael Andrews highlight the enduring legacy of London as a vibrant art capital. René Magritte’s L'ami intime (The Intimate Friend) is the jewel of the ‘Art of the Surreal’, Christie’s uniquely devised auction happening once a year in London, dedicated to the exciting outputs of the Dada and Surrealist polymaths. Fittingly coinciding with the centenary of the Surrealist Manifesto, Magritte’s iconic canvas will lead our season. We look forward to convening collectors in our London galleries when we unveil the carefully selected works in the pre-sale exhibition, taking place at our headquarters on London’s King Street from 1 March.”

René Magritte’s L'ami intime (The Intimate Friend) (1958, estimate: £30,000,000-50,000,000) is offered from the Gilbert and Lena Kaplan Collection. Depicting the enigmatic bowler-hatted man, Magritte's 'everyman', the painting will lead the 24th edition of The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale. The auction will present the work of 14 artists, and with a low estimate of £48,000,000, represents the highest pre-sale estimate for the category in 24 years of the standalone sale being held.

Alongside the Magritte, three further works are offered with an estimate above £10,000,000 in the first London season of 2024. David Hockney’s California (1965), unseen in public for more than 40 years, has remained in the same private collection since 1968, and is offered with an estimate in the region of £16,000,000. Claude Monet’s Matinée sur la Seine, temps net (1897, estimate: £12,000,000-18,000,000) is offered at auction for the first time in 45 years and leads Christie’s celebration of the 150^th anniversary of Impressionism.

Francis Bacon’s Landscape near Malabata, Tangier (1963, estimate: £15,000,000-20,000,000), previously part of the collection of Roald Dahl, has been included in 32 major exhibitions of the artist’s work across 27 cities. Lucian Freud’s intimate portrait, Kai (1991-92, estimate: £4,000,000-6,000,000), depicts Kai Boyt, the son of Suzy Boyt, who also appears in the world record painting Large Interior W11 (after Watteau). Held in the same collection since 1995, Kai was unveiled in Freud's touring exhibition, which opened at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in 1993.

The 20th / 21st Century: London Evening Sale and The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale includes 112 lots, over half appearing for the first time at auction. Alexej von Jawlensky’s Frau mit Fächer (Frau aus Turkestan) (1912, estimate: £4,000,000-6,000,000) has remained in the same collection since 1960. The pioneering art dealer Galka Scheyer acquired the work directly from the artist – an exceptional provenance that is testament to the quality of the painting, positioning it alongside the Magritte, Hockney, Bacon, and Monet.

From Méret Oppenheim’s Tisch mit Vogelfüssen (1939, estimate: £100,000-200,000) to Hannah Höch’s Das schöne Mädchen (The Beautiful Girl) (circa 1920, estimate: £120,000-180,000), powerful connections are established across the centuries and genres in Christie’s 20/21 season. Tracey Emin’s I Wanted You to Fuck the Inside of my Mind (2018, estimate: £900,000-1,500,000) follows the incredible result achieved for Like a Cloud of Blood when it set a record for the artist at Christie’s in October 2022. Alice Neel’s David McKee and his First Wife Jane (1968, estimate: £1,200,000-1,800,000) sits alongside Lynette Yiadom-Boakye’s Of All The Seasons (2017, estimate: £500,000-700,000) and Sonia Delaunay’s Rythme-Couleur (no. 132) (1953, estimate: £1,000,000-1,500,000).

A selection of Christie’s Stories to date relating to the 20^th/21^st Century: London Evening Sale can be found below:

• David Hockney’s California, 1965
• Claude Monet’s Matinée sur la Seine, temps net, 1897
• Alice Neel’s David McKee and his First Wife Jane, 1968
• Michael Andrews’ School III: Butterfly Fish and Damsel Fish, 1978
• Alighiero Boetti Mettere al Mondo il Mondo Exhibition