Sotheby's will offer four paintings by Joan Mitchell at a "significant" auction in May.

Joan Mitchell, work "Ground," 1989-90. Provided by Sotheby's © THE ESTATE OF JOAN MITCHELL. Sotheby's will present four significant paintings by Joan Mitchell at a contemporary art auction taking place on May 13. These works span various stages of the artist's career, with estimated values ranging from $1 million to $20 million. All four paintings, including "Untitled" (circa 1955), the large-scale work "Noon" (circa 1969), "Untitled" (circa 1973), and the diptych "Ground" (1989), have been consigned from the same private collection. Notably, "Noon" was painted after Mitchell permanently moved to Vétheuil, France. David Galperin, head of Sotheby's contemporary art department, described this auction..."historical event"since it allows us to trace the development and evolution of the artist's work over four decades.“This is the first case where every decade of the artist's practice can be tracked at the auction.”— he said in an interview with ARTnews."Contemplating these works together is a stunning sight, as it allows one to truly grasp the full breadth and trajectory of Mitchell's development as an artist and abstract painter."

The planned sale of four paintings at Sotheby's follows the successful retrospective of Mitchell's works at the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco and the Baltimore Museum of Art, as well as the highly acclaimed "Monet-Mitchell" exhibition at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris. Mitchell's works were featured in two significant auctions last November: one of her untitled works from 1959 was sold at Christie's on November 10 for a record $29.2 million, including fees; five days later, Sotheby's sold Mitchell's "Sunflowers" (1990-91) for $27.9 million. In this context, Sotheby's has set an estimated price for:

• “Untitled” (1954)— from 8 to 12 million dollars
• “Noon” (1969)— from 15 to 20 million dollars
• “Untitled” (1973)— from 1 to 1.5 million dollars
• diptych "Ground" (1989-1990)— from 12 to 18 million dollars

Galperin noted that these prices reflect how long Mitchell's achievements have lasted.“underrated”compared to her male contemporaries and other artists of abstract expressionism.“I believe that in recent years we have witnessed a true growth in her market, which aligns with a new perspective on her work and a fair recognition of her place among the greatest abstract expressionists.”— Galperin shared with ARTnews.“This has been a long time coming, and to be honest, the market still offers opportunities, as I believe its price has not yet reached the level it deserves.”

Three out of four paintings are currently on public display at Sotheby's galleries in Los Angeles ahead of their exhibition in New York on May 3. Joan Mitchell was born in Chicago in 1925.

Update, April 19, 2024: Clarifications have been made regarding the dates of each painting, and the mention that Mitchell's residence previously belonged to Claude Monet has been removed. There is no connection between Mitchell's property and Monet's former home.