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 1969 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 Fondation Louis Vuitton marked her first major public exhibition in France. 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 1955, 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).