Sotheby's to Offer Van Gogh, Cezanne in November
Two major works from the Blaquier-Arrieta Collection are set to headline Sotheby's November 18 evening auction in New York.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Fine Art
Sotheby's will offer Vincent van Gogh's Châtaigniers en fleurs and Paul Cezanne's Arlequin at its November 18 evening auction, with estimates of around $180 million and $120 million respectively. Both works have not been seen in public since 1975.
Why it matters
If Châtaigniers en fleurs meets its estimate, it would sit far above Van Gogh's current auction record of $117.2 million. A result above estimate for Arlequin could likewise set an artist record for Cezanne at auction.
The pre-sale estimate for Châtaigniers en fleurs is around $180 million, compared with Van Gogh's current auction record of $117.2 million set by Verger avec cyprès at Christie's New York in November 2022. Final prices will not be known until the sale concludes, and the estimates could be exceeded or missed.
The players
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is a major international auction house that is holding the November 18 evening sale in New York.
Christie's
Christie's is a leading global auction house whose 2022 New York sale set the current Van Gogh auction record.
The details
Châtaigniers en fleurs, painted during the final weeks of Van Gogh's life, depicts flowering chestnut trees under a blue sky with women carrying parasols. Arlequin, one of only four examples in Cezanne's harlequin series, is modelled on his son Paul and inspired by Mardi Gras parades from his childhood in Aix-en-Provence.
Timeline
1975: Both works entered the Blaquier-Arrieta collection, acquired by Carlos Pedro Blaquier and Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier.
November 18, 2026: Sotheby's evening auction in New York offers both works.
Market Landscape
Pre-sale estimates for Châtaigniers en fleurs and Arlequin place this sale in direct comparison with Christie's November 2022 record for Van Gogh and the $137.79m price for a Cezanne view of Sainte-Victoire mountain at Christie's New York in 2022. The sale therefore tests whether top-tier Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works continue to command record-level prices in the current market.
Collectors and museum-goers can see these works only at the sale previews and in the auction, since neither has been publicly displayed since 1975. The sale is in New York on November 18, 2026, and participation is through Sotheby's bidding channels.
The takeaway
Pre-sale estimates signal what the market expects, but the final prices realized at the November 18 sale will show how strongly buyers value these rarely seen works.
What happens next
Sotheby's Blaquier-Arrieta Collection evening auction takes place in New York on November 18, 2026, when the Van Gogh and Cezanne works are expected to be offered.
Further reading
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Source note: This article includes information reported by The Art Newspaper.
