Van Gogh's Blossoming Chestnut Trees to Auction for $180 Million
Sotheby's will auction Vincent van Gogh's 'Blossoming Chestnut Trees' in New York on November 18 with an estimated hammer price of $180 million.
Sotheby's is auctioning Vincent van Gogh's 'Blossoming Chestnut Trees' in New York on 18 November. The estimated hammer price is in the region of $180 million.
The painting was created in Auvers-sur-Oise in May 1890. Van Gogh painted the work nine days after leaving the asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. He wrote to his brother Theo on 25 May 1890 that he had just completed 'a study of chestnut trees'. A few hours after painting it, the weather in Auvers turned wet and stormy. 'Chestnut Trees in Blossom' was created three months before Van Gogh's premature death.
Potential record-breaking sale
With buyer's premium, the total is expected to reach $207 million. This exceeds the current Van Gogh auction record of $117 million for 'Orchard with Cypresses', set at Christie's New York in 2022.
Provenance and rarity
The painting is one of only eight of Van Gogh's 50 Auvers landscape paintings remaining in private hands. Its ownership history spans over a century.
| Owner/Event | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Theo van Gogh (inherited) | 1890 | After Vincent's death |
| Jo Bonger (Theo's widow) | 1890 | Inherited from Theo |
| Fourth Prince de Wagram | 1905 | Purchased via dealer; member of French Rothschild family |
| Samuel Fischer (publisher) | 1909 | Berlin-based |
| Brigitte Fischer (inherited) | 1934 | After Samuel Fischer's death |
| Henriette & Marcel Kapferer | 1936 | Marcel was head of Royal Dutch Shell in France |
| George 'Buddy' Gard de Sylva | 1945 | Hollywood songwriter and film producer |
| Harriet Harris-Jonas | 1950 | New York collector |
| The Blaquier couple | 1975 |
Family collection and global tour
The painting is being sold by the Argentinian Blaquier-Arrieta family. It is part of a group of 12 pictures being sold by the family, expected to raise around $450 million. The collection includes works by Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, and Paul Gauguin. These paintings have not been displayed publicly for decades.
'Blossoming Chestnut Trees' will be exhibited in Taipei on 5-6 October, Hong Kong on 13-15 October, and New York on 7-17 November before the auction.
Expert endorsement and context
Helena Newman, chairwoman of Sotheby's European division, described the collection as 'one of the most valuable collections ever offered at auction'. She highlighted the Van Gogh as 'an incredibly exciting discovery' and said works by Cézanne and Van Gogh are likely to reach record prices. The painting features three colourful women with Japanese-style parasols beneath chestnut trees.
A Sotheby's spokesperson said: "based on recent research, the auction house is satisfied that the family was free at all times to dispose of the painting".
The painting will be exhibited in Taipei, Hong Kong, and New York before the auction on 18 November.
