A genre revered within the grand arc of the art historical canon, portraiture has been integral to the way artists tell stories about people, history and culture across the ages. From Lempicka’s magnificent Nu adossé I, Picasso’s striking Nu assis and Portrait de femme to Paula Rego’s exquisitely rendered Meadow and Elizabeth Peyton’s contemporary vision of Queen Elizabeth II, portraits transcend time and place to capture the essence of the shared human experience.

Figuration endures through essential and intimate depictions of important subjects.

Face to Face: A History of Portrait Painting

Explore one of the artist’s most compelling masterpieces.

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Derelict

Across our Modern &amp; Contemporary Evening Auction, we are delighted to present works from the esteemed Ralph I. Goldenberg collection; a courageous, curious, and passionate collection that weaves a rich tapestry of 20th Century art.

Primary Structures: The Ralph I. Goldenberg Collection 

From Paul Klee and Piero Manzoni to Jean-Michel Basquiat and Yayoi Kusama, these artists have pushed the boundaries of abstraction and image in ways that are wholly modern. Through myriad modes of expression, the artists working in abstraction over several decades defied convention and redefined the very notion of artistic creation.

Trace the last century’s modes of developing abstract painting.

A Journey into Abstraction

An expanded view of Modern &amp; Contemporary painters seeking inspiration from the beauty and emotional vitality found in nature in the early twentieth century through to today.

An expanded view of Modern &amp; Contemporary painters inspired by nature.

The Art of Seeing Nature

Brought together in The Modern &amp; Contemporary Evening Auction is a selection of works from an esteemed American collection that invokes the very spirit of Impressionism. The lots in the sale include a joyful still life by Pierre-Auguste Renoir from a key period in the artist's œuvre; a striking landscape by Gustave Caillebotte from the 1880s and a vibrant view of the bustling Dieppe harbour from 1902 by Camille Pissarro. In each stroke of the brush, dappled shadow and outline of form, new ways of seeing break forth from each canvas.

An Eye for Impressionism: Property from an Important American Estate

London

Taking place live in London on 25 June, Sotheby’s Modern &amp; Contemporary Evening Auction will encompass over a century of pioneering artistic production. Beginning with the innovations of the Impressionists, it spans the birth of Modernism in the early 20th century through to the evolution of Abstract Expressionism and Contemporary abstraction and figuration. The sale includes a group of works from the esteemed collection of Ralph l. Goldenberg; a collection that is defined by the singular perspective of an extraordinary collector driven by diligence, intellect and, above all, curiosity. Other highlights by Pablo Picasso and Alberto Giacometti, as well as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Paula Rego and Lucio Fontana illustrate crucial moments in the history of this important and influential period of artistic innovation. <center>PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH</center>

VP | Specialist, Head of Evening Sale

Emma Baker

Deputy Chairman | Contemporary Art | Europe

James Sevier

SVP | Senior Director, Head of Evening Sales

Thomas Boyd-Bowman

EVP | Chairman, Worldwide Head of Impressionist and Modern Art

Helena Newman

Meet our Specialists

For assistance with bidding and registration, please contact: +44 207 293 5000 
 
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Taking place live in London on 25 June, Sotheby’s Modern &amp; Contemporary Evening Auction will encompass over a century of pioneering artistic production. Beginning with the innovations of the Impressionists, it spans the birth of Modernism in the early 20th century through to the evolution of Abstract Expressionism and Contemporary abstraction and figuration.&nbsp; The sale includes a group of works from the esteemed collection of Ralph l. Goldenberg; a collection that is defined by the singular perspective of an extraordinary collector driven by diligence, intellect and, above all, curiosity. Other highlights by Pablo Picasso and Alberto Giacometti, as well as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Paula Rego and Lucio Fontana illustrate crucial moments in the history of this important and influential period of artistic innovation.

Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction, including the Ralph I. Goldenberg Collection