Sotheby's to Offer Van Gogh in $180 Million Sale
Twelve Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works from the Blaquier-Arrieta Collection go to auction in New York on November 18.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Fine Art
Sotheby's will hold the single-owner Blaquier-Arrieta Collection sale of 12 Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works in New York on Tuesday, November 18, led by Van Gogh's Chestnut Trees in Bloom, projected at $180 million (€161.63 million). The works come from the collection of the late Argentinian sugar heiress Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier.
Why it matters
The sale is expected to generate around $450 million, a benchmark moment for the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist market. Christie's Fall Marquee Week sales in New York the following week are expected to make more than $800 million, drawing collectors and buyers across the same few days.
The Blaquier-Arrieta sale is projected at around $450 million, with Van Gogh's Chestnut Trees in Bloom expected at $180 million (€161.63 million) and Kandinsky's Accented Corners estimated at $60 million to $80 million. Actual results will only be confirmed once bidding closes, and the projections may shift with demand on the day.
The players
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is a major international auction house founded in London in 1744 that conducts sales of fine art, jewelry and collectibles worldwide.
Christie's
Christie's is a leading international auction house founded in London in 1766 that holds major sales of fine art across New York, London and Hong Kong.
James Adam
James Adam is an Irish auction house based in Dublin that specializes in sales of Irish and modern British art.
The details
Sotheby's modern evening auction the same night includes 50 lots, among them four late Picasso works from a European collection expected to generate more than $40 million (€35.92 million). In Dublin, James Adam's Wednesday evening sale features works by Gerard Dillon, Paul Henry, William Scott and Mary Swanzy, with Dillon's The Jockey estimated at €150,000 to €200,000.
Timeline
November 18, 2026: Sotheby's Blaquier-Arrieta sale and modern evening auction in New York
November 18, 2026: James Adam Irish art sale in Dublin
Week of November 18, 2026: Christie's Fall Marquee Week sales in New York, including more than 850 artworks
November 23, 2026: Whyte's Irish art auction
November 24, 2026: deVeres and Gormley's art auctions
Market Landscape
The projected totals for the Blaquier-Arrieta and Christie's sales continue the pattern of blue-chip Impressionist works drawing the highest prices at New York evening auctions. Whether bidding meets these projections will show if demand for top-tier Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works remains as strong as recent seasons suggest.
Collectors and art followers can follow the sales through each house's live bidding or view the works in person during preview periods before the auctions. Buyers outside New York and Dublin can participate remotely through the auction houses' online platforms.
The takeaway
Pre-sale estimates signal where the market expects demand to land, but final results depend on bidding on the day. Watching the November sales will show whether top-tier Impressionist works hold their value.
What happens next
Sotheby's Blaquier-Arrieta sale closes on November 18, 2026, and Christie's Fall Marquee Week sales follow the same week in New York, which will show whether the projected totals are reached.
Further reading
For more on the market for works like these, see our Fine Art coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Irish Examiner.
