kolkata sothebys spring evening sale of impressionist modern art will be held in new york on 7 may 2014 a significant selection of highlights from the sale are currently on view in sothebys london galleries until 15 april before returning to new york for exhibition in sothebys york avenue galleries beginning 2 may following sothebys sale of alberto giacomettis grande tete mince grande tete de diego for 50 million in november 2013 the highest price for a work of art in any impressionist modern art auction last year worldwide the may sale will offer four sculptures and one oil by the artist the selection is led by la place giacomettis first multifigural sculpture which stands as one of his most powerful representations of psychological isolation and vulnerability estimate 1218 million reconciling the quiet life of the mind with the cacophony of urban existence was of central concern to the existentialist movement in postwar france and giacometti was at the forefront in his investigation of this dilemma la place which he conceived and cast in 1948 is the most provocative of his sculptural interpretations of this concept the may auction will offer an impressive selection of 14 works by pablo picasso with examples reaching across his remarkable career from an early drawing dated to 1900 through a late oil painting from 1969 the group features tete de marietherese from 1932 a radiant example of his paintings depicting his beloved mistress of the early 1930s estimate 1520 million the present example may be counted among the most painterly and expressive of these pictures created when marietherese was firmly at the center of picassos artistic universe tete de marietherese was part of jacqueline picassos private collection of paintings drawings and sculptures that her late husband had bequeathed her jacqueline generously gifted this work to william rubin director of prestigious department of painting and sculpture at new yorks museum of modern art among other masters featuring in the sale are claude monet joan miro henri matisse auguste renoir edward degas and pierre bonnard david norman cochairman of sothebys impressionist modern art department worldwide commented in an email statement we are thrilled to offer works by three of the greatest masters of 20th century art each of which exemplifies the artists output at a critical moment in their career matisse picasso and leger in their unique manner so distinctively catapulted the representation of the figure in to the modern age these paintings resplendent in color and bold in design which were respectively executed in successive decades from the 1920s to 40s resonate with todays global audience of collectors and connoisseurs