Christie's will Auction a Matisse

Christie's Auction house announced it will auction one of the most important sculptures by Henri Matisse (1869-1954). The bronze piece entitled Nu de dos, 4 état (Back IV), was created around 1930 and is regarded as one of the most important sculptural works in the French painter's artistic trajectory. Its value is estimated between 18 and 25 million euros. Together with other four life size sculptures, it belongs to the series entitled The Back and it is the only other piece, along with another work from the series, to still remain in a private collection. The other pieces from the series are property of the Tate Gallery in London, the MoMa in New York, and the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris. ¿This is truly an unprecedented opportunity for the many collectors who recognize Matisse¿s Back series as a milestone in modern sculpture,¿ said Conor Jordan, Head of Impressionist and Modern Art for Christie¿s New York. During the twenty years that elapsed between the creation of Back I and Back IV, Henri Matisse outlined the gradual changes in the collective visual language that went from figuration to abstraction.