For three days, Christie's London will display rarely seen masterpieces by artists such as Michelangelo and Picasso before they go to auction.
The works includes a male nude study for Michaelangelo's "The Battle of Cascina" and Picasso's "Jeune Fille Endormie." The nude study, one of 24 for "The Battle of Cascina," has only been seen in public once since its creation and expected to go for $4-$8 million at the Old Masters sale to be held on July 5.
Picasso's "Jeune Fille Endormie" is a portrait of his lover Marie-Therese Walter and the price of the painting is estimated to reach between $14.6 and $19.5 million. The image was painted in 1935 and has not been seen in public since a 1939 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Picasso paints a portrait of his muse resting her head on her arms as she sleeps at a table. The painting has been put up for sale by an anonymous seller who will donate all the proceeds of the auction to the University of Sydney on behalf of scientific research.
Other works on view include "Gimcrack on Newmarket Heath, with a Trainer, A Stable-Lad, and a Jockey" by George Stubbs, "Nympheas" from Claude Monet's celebrated water-lily series, and Thomas Gainsborough's "Portrait of Miss Read, later Mrs William Villebois."
Jussi Pylkkanen, chairman of Christie’s Europe, Middle East, Russia and India encouraged people to come, stating, “it’s not a sale viewing, it’s very much an exhibition aimed at the collective public. This show is about contrasts, but it’s also about quality.”
View a video of the exhibit below.