Christie's Shanghai to showcase two masterpieces for limited time

Two masterpieces from the Visionary: The Paul G. Allen collection will be showcased in a preview at Christie's Shanghai on Oct 15.

The collection comprising more than 150 works will be auctioned off in two live auctions on Nov 9 and 10 in the United States.

All proceeds from this sale will go to philanthropic causes.

Birch Forest by Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) is one of the two paintings that will be showcased in Shanghai. The art work was returned to the family of Adele Bloch-Bauer, a friend and patron of the Austrian artist, in 2006 following a legal battle.

The other painting is the Waterloo Bridge by Claude Monet (1840-1926). The Waterloo Bridge in London was a favorite subject for the French Impressionist, who created 41 paintings of it, most of which are in the permanent collection of museums worldwide.

Christie's Shanghai chose to present these two artworks because of their rarity, according to Rebecca Yang, chairman of Christie's China.

Also on preview in Shanghai are selected objects from the Magnificent Jewels series that will be auctioned in Geneva, Switzerland on Nov 8.

Among the exhibits is the Fortune Pink, a fancy vivid pink diamond of 18.18 carats. This will be the largest vivid pink pear-shaped diamond ever to be put on auction.

Christie's Shanghai also announced on Oct 14 that its first handbags and jewels online auction in the Chinese mainland will take place from Oct 25 to Nov 1.