"Held in a Private Collection for Over 50 Years"... Modigliani's Stone Head to Auction for Up to 46.9 Billion Won

Phillips Auctioneers to Hold Modern and Contemporary Art Auctions in New York on November 17 and 19
Modigliani Sculpture Held in a Private Collection for More Than 50 Years to Make Auction Debut
Low Estimates for 23 Works in Evening Sale Top 94.3 Billion Won

A stone head by Amedeo Modigliani, which has remained in a private collection for more than 50 years, is going up for auction with an estimate of up to 46.9 billion won. An eight-panel portrait by David Hockney depicting four people close to him will also make its auction debut.

Amedeo Modigliani, "Tete" (1911-1912). Carved from a single block of limestone, the sculpture is characterized by its elongated face and simplified features. It has been held in a private collection for more than 50 years and will be offered at auction in New York for the first time. Estimated at approximately 37.5 billion to 46.9 billion won. Phillips Auction.

Phillips Auctioneers, a global auction house, said on November 10 that it will hold its fall auctions of modern and contemporary art in New York on November 17 and 19. A total of 23 works will be offered in the evening sale on November 17, with low estimates totaling more than $70.4 million (approximately 94.3 billion won). That is about 50% higher than the total for the same sale last year.

The top lot is "Head" (1911-1912) by Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani. It carries an estimate of $28 million to $35 million (approximately 37.5 billion to 46.9 billion won), the highest estimate Phillips Auctioneers has ever assigned to a sculpture it has offered at auction.

Carved from a single block of limestone, the work is characterized by its elongated face and simplified features. Modigliani is believed to have created about 28 stone sculptures during his lifetime, many of which are held by major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and Tate in London. This work has been held in a private collection for more than 50 years and is coming to auction for the first time.

Hockney's "David, Celia, Stephen and Ian, London 1982" is also drawing attention. Created in 1982, the large-scale portrait depicts four people across eight joined canvases. It is estimated at $10 million to $15 million (approximately 13.4 billion to 20.1 billion won).

David Hockney, "David, Celia, Stephen and Ian, London 1982" (1982). A large-scale portrait painted across eight joined canvases, depicting four people close to the artist, it will be offered at auction for the first time at Phillips in New York on the 17th. It is estimated to sell for about 13.4 billion to 20.1 billion won. Phillips Auction.

The figures in the painting are Hockney's studio assistant David Graves, textile designer Celia Birtwell, painter Stephen Buckley, and illustrator Ian Falconer. Hockney captured their distinct expressions and poses with bold colors and perspectives, portraying people with whom he had close relationships. The work has been featured in major exhibitions of Hockney's portraits, but this will be its first time at auction.

Frank Stella's 1963 work "Port Tampa City" will also go under the hammer. The eight-pointed star-shaped painting, rendered in red, is estimated at $3 million to $5 million (approximately 4 billion to 6.7 billion won). Of the 13 works in the Dartmouth Paintings series, only two are star-shaped canvases. The other one was donated to the Philadelphia Museum of Art by American collector Agnes Gund.

Also on offer are Jackson Pollock's 1946 "Constellation," estimated at $3.5 million to $5 million (approximately 4.7 billion to 6.8 billion won), and Alexander Calder's mobile "Snow Flurry," estimated at $4 million to $6 million (approximately 5.4 billion to 8 billion won). Paintings by Claude Monet and Helen Frankenthaler are also included in the auction.

Two sales, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, will take place on November 19. The morning session will feature Joan Mitchell's circa-1965 work "Composition," estimated at $1 million to $1.5 million (approximately 1.3 billion to 2 billion won). In the work, the artist translates landscapes remembered and the light of France into abstraction. Four works by John Chamberlain, who explored new possibilities in sculpture using automotive parts and industrial scrap metal, will also be offered.

Joan Mitchell, "Composition" (c. 1965). An abstract painting inspired by landscapes in memory and the light of France, expressed through bold brushstrokes and vivid colors. It will be offered at Phillips' morning sale in New York on the 19th, with an estimate of approximately 1.3 billion to 2 billion won. Phillips Auction.

The afternoon session will feature Mark Grotjahn's 2005 work "Untitled (Large Color Butterfly)." Part of his "Butterfly" series, it uses vivid colors and geometric lines that converge at a single point. It is estimated at $450,000 to $650,000 (approximately 600 million to 900 million won). Works by contemporary artists including Lisa Yuskavage, George Condo, and Annie Morris will also be presented.

According to Phillips Auctioneers, about 90% of the works in the evening sale are appearing on the auction market for the first time. The sale is notable for its focus on works that have been held for many years in major private collections and estates.

Robert Manley, chairman of the modern and contemporary art department at Phillips Auctioneers, said, "This auction brings together works spanning more than 100 years of artistic innovation, from Modigliani and Hockney to Stella." He added, "The fact that most of the works are making their auction-market debut is the defining feature of this season."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.