Hundreds of art lovers queued in Hong Kong on Tuesday to see a rare Vincent van Gogh painting that had not been publicly displayed for more than 60 years. The work, titled Châtaigniers en fleurs, or Chestnut Trees in Blossom, is expected to become one of the most valuable Van Gogh paintings ever sold.
The painting will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York on November 18. It is estimated to fetch around $180 million. If that figure is reached, the sale could set a new auction record for a Van Gogh work.
Van Gogh painted the artwork in May 1890 while living in Auvers-sur-Oise, France. It was created during the final months of his life. The Dutch artist died about two months later at the age of 37.
The painting features a large chestnut tree covered in blossoms. Sotheby’s experts describe the work as one of the most important pieces from Van Gogh’s final period. Paintings from this stage of his career rarely appear on the market.
Visitors travelled from different parts of the region to see the painting before its auction. One art enthusiast from Shenzhen said she had travelled for more than two hours because she had never heard of the work before.
The painting is part of a collection of 12 rarely seen works. The collection also includes pieces by Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne.
The artwork passed through several notable collections after Van Gogh’s death. It was later acquired by the Blaquier family in 1975.
Its upcoming sale is expected to test demand at the highest end of the global art market.
