"It is an extremely rare work because there are very few works by the artist in private hands, and even more particularly paintings from this Parisian period where he lived between 1886 and 1888", explains Claudia Mercier. , auctioneer for Mirabaud Mercie.
One of the few Van Goghs still in private hands, dating from his Parisian period and showing the Butte Montmartre in a bucolic light, will be put on sale at the end of March by Sotheby's.
Dated 1887, this “Street scene in Montmartre” represents the Pepper Mill, one of the Galette mills, behind palisades, against a blue gray winter sky.
In the foreground, a couple are walking and two children are playing.
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“The paintings in the Montmartre series are rare.
It is very likely that it will arouse a lot of interest from individuals, the great Van Gogh collectors who are everywhere, and perhaps also from institutions, ”said Aurélie Vandevoorde, director of the Impressionist art department.
In the itinerary of the Dutch painter (1853/1890), this painting marks a turning point, an expressionist beginning with a use of color aimed at creating an impression beyond the transcription of reality.
The painting was listed in catalogs (with black and white photos), but had never appeared since its acquisition by a French family around 1920. The painting will be sold on March 25 by the Sotheby's teams in Paris, New York , Hongkong and London.
“Street scene in Montmartre” is estimated between 5 and 8 million euros but the auction could fly.