From the Halsey Minor Collection: Richard Prince's "Nurse in Hollywood #4," 2004, Acrylic and inkjet on canvas. Estimate: $5-7 million.

May is an exciting month for the New York auction world.  This year, some very private West Coast collections, featuring rare work, will be offered at auction in the next two weeks.  Property from the $150 million Holmby Hills-based Collection of Mrs. Sidney F. Brody will be auctioned off at Christie’s on May 4 and 5 during the Impressionist and Modern art sale.  Highlights include Picasso’s 1932 painting, “Nu au Plateau du Sculpteur,” estimated at over $80 million, which insiders say may take over as the most expensive work of art ever sold.  Seminal works by Giacometti, Braque, and Matisse will also be included in the sale.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the lovely Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino.

Works from the Collection of Michael Crichton will be sold in conjunction with Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art sale.  In addition to being a best-selling author, screenwriter, film director and producer, the very private Crichton was also an instrumental collector of 20th century artists and friends with Continue reading ‘Important California Private Collections Hit the New York Auction Block’