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A self portrait by Edvard Munch is among the highlights at Sotheby’s cross category Modern Renaissance sale in London on March 25. The major spring evening sale will cross categories and geographies, spanning over 500 years, from Old Masters to the 21st century. Among the highlights are works by Munch, David Hockney, Jean Dubuffet, Piero del Pollaiuolo, Paul Klee and Pablo Picasso.

Edvard Munch – Girls on the Bridge.

Led by Munch’s Girls on the Bridge which sold for $54.5 million the Sotheby’s sale of Impressionist and Modern Art in New York last night brought in $157.7 million.

Pablo Picasso’s large-scale late work Le Peintre et son modèle brought $12.9 million; Auguste Rodin’s Penseur, petit modèle sold to an Asian private collector for $1.8; Picasso’s Tête de femme sold for $8.5 million; Maurice de Vlaminck’s Fauve landscape Le Verger  made $7.6 million; László Moholy-Nagy’s EM 1 Telephonbild, a masterwork of early conceptual art, achieved $6.1 million and František Kupka’s La Forme du bleu from 1924 sold above the high estimate for $2.2 million.

“Tonight’s solid results, coupled with those in London this June, demonstrate there is strong demand for top-quality works at every price level,” said Simon Shaw, Co-Head of Sotheby’s Worldwide Impressionist & Modern Art Department. “We were pleased to offer for the third time Edvard Munch’s Girls on the Bridge, which achieved $54.5 million – a price that is second only to his iconic The Scream, sold at Sotheby’s for $120 million. Munch has only recently been recognized for his tremendous impact on both 20^th and 21^st century art, and our team has worked to build his appreciation in the market as well.”

Edvard Munch – Girls on the Bridge.  UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR $54.5 MILLION.

A masterwork by Edvard Munch will lead Sotheby’s evening sale of Impressionist & Modern Art in New York on November 14.  Pikene på broen (Girls on the Bridge) from 1902 is estimated to make more than $50 million. The lyrical work ranks as one of the most powerful paintings of his career, and has twice set a new world auction record for the artist at Sotheby’s.

Simon Shaw, Co-Head of Sotheby’s Worldwide Impressionist & Modern Art Department said: “Edvard Munch’s importance to the full breadth of 20^th century art cannot be overstated. From the Expressionists to Fauvism and Pop Art, his oeuvre is increasingly prized for its lasting influence on the art of recent times. Munch pioneered the art of the self: recent museum shows pairing his work with that of artists ranging from Vincent van Gogh to Robert Mapplethorpe, Louise Bourgeois, Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol – among many others – have illustrated that his genius burns brighter today than ever.”

In 1996 Sotheby’s sold the painting for a then record of $7.7 million. It was sold in 2008 for $30.8 million.

Graphic works by Edvard Munch Two Human Beings. The Lonely Ones and Self-Portrait, both acquired directly from the artist, come up at Sotheby’s sale of Prints and Multiples in London on September 27.  Self-Portrait is from a private Norwegian collection and was originally owned by Olaf Schou, the Norwegian industrialist and art patron; Two Human Beings. The Lonely Ones was purchased directly from Munch in 1942 by Harald Holst Halvorsen. They are never been at auction before and are estimated respectively at £50,000-70,000 and £400,000-600,000.

Lucy Rosenburgh, Sotheby’s Prints Specialist, said: “Schou and Halvorsen were two of Munch’s most important patrons, with whom he enjoyed an equally strong friendship. The notable provenance of these prints makes their appearance on the market all the more appealing to collectors.”

Edvard Munch – The Lonely Ones (£400,000-600,000)

Edvard Munch – Self-Portrait (£50,000-70,000)