Three masterpiece paintings by Paul Cezanne will highlight Christie’s 20th Century evening sale In New York on November 9 during Fall Marquee Week. Fruits et pot de gingembre ($35 million – 55 million), Quatre pommes et un couteau ($7 million – 10 million) and La mer à L’Estaque ($3 million – 5 million) are from the collection of the Museum Langmatt in Baden, Switzerland, home to one of the most extraordinary collections of Impressionist art in Europe, assembled with care and passion in the early 20th century by famed collectors Sidney and Jenny Brown.
Bequeathed to the City of Baden, Switzerland in 1987, the villa Langmatt a historic family home built in 1900-01 was converted into a public museum and cultural institution which opened in 1990. The Museum has required increasing levels of care, to maintain its aging physical facilities, which has substantially depleted the resources of the Langmatt foundation. The Museum will receive substantial funds from the City of Baden and the Canton Aargau towards renovation and restoration and the foundation must raise CHF 40 million / circa US$45 million for its endowment fund, providing the necessary interest rates for the long-term future of the museum’s operation. The sale of these three Cezanne masterpieces will be offered in a unique sale format. They will be offered consecutively until the total amount bid achieves the fundraising target. The Museum has committed to sell only the lots required to achieve its goal. Once this 40M mark has been reached in the auction, any subsequent lot(s) in the trio will be withdrawn from sale and returned to public display in Switzerland.
