Baroness Carmen Thyssen to auction Edward Hopper painting

Baroness Carmen Thyssen has decided to auction one of the most personal pieces from her private collection, the 1944 oil painting ‘La Martha McKeen of Wellfleet’ by American artist Edward Hopper. The work is scheduled to go up for sale at Sotheby's in New York on November 18.

The painting, which depicts a sailboat in Cape Cod during a summer morning, is considered a rare nautical scene in Hopper's typically urban and melancholic oeuvre. The artist spent approximately five months completing the piece, inspired by his friendship with Martha and Reggie McKeen. The Thyssen-Bornemisza family has held the work in their private collection for over 45 years.

Sotheby's estimates the value of the painting to be between 20 and 30 million dollars (approximately 17.9 to 26.8 million euros). The sale is described as a move to protect the inheritance of her daughters, Carmen and Sabina, rather than a reflection of the Baroness's health.