Van Gogh painting to be auctioned for an estimated $180 million

A rare Vincent van Gogh painting, ‘Châtaigniers en fleurs’ (Chestnuts in Bloom), has been exhibited in Hong Kong after remaining unseen by the public for over 60 years. The work, painted in May 1890 during the artist’s final months in Auvers-sur-Oise, France, is expected to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York on November 18.

Sotheby’s estimates the painting could reach a value of $180 million, which would set a new auction record for the Dutch artist, surpassing the previous record of $117.2 million set in 2022. The piece is part of a collection of 12 works from the estate of Argentine collectors Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier and Carlos Pedro Blaquier, which also includes pieces by Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Camille Pissarro.

Scott Niichel, a vice president at Sotheby’s, described the work as reflecting a period of extraordinary optimism and color in Van Gogh’s career. The painting depicts a large flowering chestnut tree and is considered one of his most significant works from his final period.