Vincent van Gogh's masterpiece "Parisian Novels" is set to become the centerpiece of Sotheby's upcoming Pritzker estate auction in New York on November 20, with an estimated value of $40 million. Art experts predict this stunning still life could achieve the highest price ever paid for a painting from the Dutch artist's Paris period, potentially surpassing the current record of $33.2 million set by "Corner of a Garden with Butterflies" at Christie's last year.
The remarkable painting comes from the estate of Cindy Pritzker, who passed away in March at age 101. Her late husband Jay Pritzker built the renowned Hyatt Hotels chain before his death in 1999. Cindy, who served as president of the Chicago Public Library board, had a deep passion for literature that made "Parisian Novels" particularly meaningful to her. The couple proudly displayed their Van Gogh in the library of their Chicago apartment, where it depicted 22 books casually scattered across a table alongside a glass containing three pink roses.
Sotheby's will auction "Parisian Novels" as part of a spectacular 37-piece collection from the Pritzker estate, with the remaining works valued at approximately $120 million. The impressive collection includes significant paintings by Paul Gauguin and Henri Matisse, showcasing the family's exceptional taste in Post-Impressionist art.
Van Gogh created "Parisian Novels" during November and December 1887 while living with his brother Theo in the French capital. The composition features distinctive striped wallpaper on the left side and what appears to be a chair-back and door on the right, suggesting an intimate interior setting. Art historians have identified this as likely being a specific room in Theo's apartment on Rue Lepic, as similar wallpaper appears in two other Van Gogh still lifes from the same period – one featuring a basket of lemons and another showing a pot of garlic chives.
Most of the books in the painting display yellow covers, indicating they are modern novels published by the prestigious Charpentier publishing house in Paris. An 1888 exhibition review actually referenced the painting with the title "Volumes Charpentier," confirming this connection. Van Gogh was known as a voracious reader who particularly enjoyed the fiction of Émile Zola and the Goncourt brothers, both authors published by Charpentier. The book-laden table with one open volume and the room setting powerfully suggests the presence of a reader, presumably Van Gogh himself, who saw little distinction between artists and writers, believing that emotions could be conveyed equally through paint or words.
Before completing this masterwork, Van Gogh created a preparatory picture titled "Piles of French Novels," which features a smaller and simpler composition than the Pritzker work. This earlier piece, painted in October-November 1887, is currently housed at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Scottish artist Archibald Hartrick, who befriended Van Gogh in Paris, recalled seeing "Parisian Novels" on an easel in Theo's apartment when the paint was likely still wet. Hartrick later described it as "the first of a series of yellow pictures," presumably thinking ahead to Van Gogh's famous "Sunflowers" series painted in August 1888.
"Parisian Novels" holds special significance in Van Gogh's career as it was among only three paintings publicly exhibited during his lifetime at the Société des Artistes Indépendants in March 1888. Van Gogh wrote enthusiastically to his brother Theo: "I think it's a very good idea that you put the books in the Indépendants too. This [oil] study should be given the title: Parisian novels." Despite this early exhibition, the painting failed to sell during Van Gogh's lifetime.
The painting's ownership history reflects its growing recognition as a masterpiece. A few years after Van Gogh's death, Italian artist Antonio Mancini purchased "Parisian Novels." It subsequently entered a Swiss collection before being sold at Christie's in 1988 for just over $7 million, considered a substantial sum at that time. Australian property developer Robert Holmes à Court acquired the painting, and the Pritzkers purchased it in 1994. The family generously lent the work to two major Van Gogh exhibitions: at London's Royal Academy of Arts in 2010 and the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016. Cindy Pritzker was a major supporter of the Chicago gallery, funding its Pritzker Wing in 2009.
With its $40 million estimate, "Parisian Novels" has the potential to enter the top ten most expensive Van Gogh paintings ever sold at auction. Currently, all paintings in this exclusive category are post-Paris works, which are generally more sought after by collectors. To reach these prestigious heights, the painting would need to achieve $52 million to surpass "Fields near Les Alpilles" from November 1889.
Before the November New York auction, "Parisian Novels" will embark on an international tour to build excitement among potential buyers. The painting will be displayed at the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation in Abu Dhabi from October 1-2, followed by exhibitions at Sotheby's locations in London (October 9-16), Paris (October 20-24), and finally New York (November 8-20).
The Pritzker collection also includes another significant Van Gogh work: "Public Garden with Benches," a drawing from April 1888 that the couple purchased in 1979. This sketch, estimated at $2.5-3.5 million, depicts the public garden in Place Lamartine, located just outside Van Gogh's famous Yellow House in Arles. The house served as Van Gogh's home from September 1888 to March 1889, where his fellow artist Paul Gauguin stayed with him for two tumultuous months.
"Public Garden with Benches" was sent to Theo probably on the very day Van Gogh signed the lease for the Yellow House on May 1, 1888. The sketch shows an empty garden with four benches, dominated by trees and bushes. Art experts speculate that the lower building visible in the background might represent the Yellow House itself, with the smoking chimney belonging to a taller building beyond. Four days after securing the lease, Vincent wrote excitedly to Theo: "The delightful thing about this studio is the gardens opposite." When "Public Garden with Benches" goes on display at Sotheby's in New York, it will mark the first time the drawing has been exhibited since 1910, and it will be reproduced in color for the first time.
