PARIS.- Christie’s announces the auction of an exceptional work by Joan Mitchell estimated at between €3.2 million and €5 million. Appearing on the market for the first time, this Untitled work was painted around 1960 and comes from the collection of the famous French art dealer Jacques Dubourg.

It is the latest addition to the already remarkable catalogue of the Avant-Garde(s) including Thinking Italian sale, which will be the highlight of the auction taking place during Art Basel Paris on 18 October. It includes a rare oil on canvas by Alberto Giacometti, Buste sur la selle de l’atelier (€2 million - €3 million) and an exceptional rediscovery of a surrealist work by Francis Picabia, Myrte (€1.5 million - €2 million).

Acquired directly from the artist, this exceptional work was carefully kept in the private collection of Jacques Dubourg, who never parted with it. A key figure in the art market, Jacques Dubourg played an essential role in the distribution of works by such major artists as Nicolas de Staël and Jean-Paul Riopelle. Joan Mitchell, whom he followed particularly closely, was exhibited several times in his Paris gallery.

In 2023, Joan Mitchell’s retrospective at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris in 1982 (June 24-September 6) marked her first major public exhibition in France. Mitchell also had a joint exhibition in 1994 at Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes (June 25-September 26) and Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume (June 22-September 11). The renewed interest in her work is part of a wider trend to recognize the role of women artists in the history of art. A key figure in Abstract Expressionism, who made her mark on the New York art scene in the 1950s before moving to France in 1959, Joan Mitchell is now present in the world’s most prestigious public and private collections.

Christie’s currently holds 10 of the 12 world records for works by Joan Mitchell sold at auction. In 2023, at the Avant-Garde(s) including Thinking Italian auction, a new record was set in France with a price of €5.8 million, while the world record for the artist ($29.2 million was reached in New York last November).