Christie’s London will auction off 85 works spanning the seven decades of Joan Miró’s artistic career. The collection is one of the most extensive offerings of works by the Spanish surrealist ever to come to auction. The holdings, which are estimated to be worth $49 million, were acquired by the Portuguese government from a failing bank during the 2008 global banking crisis.
The star of the auction is the painting ‘Women and Birds,’ which features two of Miró’s recurring subjects. Created in 1968, the canvas is expected to bring $6.5 million to $11.5 million. The sale also includes works on paper and a series of paintings on Masonite from the 1930s.
The works will be sold during three auctions slated to take place February 4 and 5. The current auction record for Miró was set in 2012 when ‘Painting (Blue Star)’ sold for nearly $37 million.
