Sotheby's auction house will offer Vincent van Gogh's "Chestnut Trees in Blossom" for sale in New York, My, on 18/11. The painting, originally titled Chataigniers en fleurs, has been part of the art collection of Argentine magnate Carlos Pedro Blaquier and his wife since 1975, according to AFP.

This rare artwork, unseen for 60 years, has generated considerable excitement in the art world. Experts estimate the painting could reach 180 million USD (over 4.600 ty VND), potentially becoming the artist's most expensive work. The current record is held by Orchard with Cypresses (1888), which sold for 117,2 million USD at a Christie's sale in 2022.

Van Gogh's "Chestnut Trees in Blossom" (1890) measures 70 x 58 cm. Photo: AFP

Van Gogh's "Chestnut Trees in Blossom" (1890) measures 70 x 58 cm. Photo: AFP

The painting was recently exhibited at Sotheby's Hong Kong branch from 13/10 to 15/10, drawing hundreds of people who queued to see it, Reuters reported. Smithsonian Magazine noted the excitement surrounding the opportunity to view and bid on a Van Gogh work that has been out of public sight for six decades.

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, "Chestnut Trees in Blossom" holds significant historical value as it reflects the turbulent final period of the Dutch master's life. Van Gogh completed the painting in 5/1890, just two months before he committed suicide at age 37. A year prior, he had lived in the Saint-Remy mental hospital in Provence, Phap, due to unstable mental health, having famously cut off his own ear.

After being discharged from the hospital, Van Gogh moved to the village of Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris. According to correspondence collected by Sotheby's, he once expressed finding artistic inspiration from scenes "full of lush green hues," feeling "an urge to create would envelop him, making him no longer bothered by anything and always uplifted." The artist rented a small attic room in a cafe, going out daily to paint village scenes.

Van Gogh's self-portrait. Photo: Van Gogh Museum

Van Gogh's self-portrait. Photo: Van Gogh Museum

AFP reported that in his remaining months, Van Gogh painted intensely, averaging one painting per day. "Chestnut Trees in Blossom" is among the 70 works created during this prolific period. Speaking to the news site, Sotheby's Vice President Scott Niichel believes the painting demonstrates Van Gogh's fervor through the artist's application of thick layers of paint, as if he had more to convey onto the canvas.

"This is one of Van Gogh's last expressive, most hopeful works in the final stretch of his career", Niichel commented.

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) was a Dutch painter of the Impressionist school, influenced by artists Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Pissarro, and Gauguin. He was a pioneer of Expressionism and had a profound influence on modern art. Van Gogh began painting at age 27, leaving thousands of paintings after one decade as an artist. According to Beyond Van Gogh, one reason his art endures through time is the intense, authentic emotions he conveyed into each painting. Some of his famous works include Starry Night (1889), Cafe Terrace at Night (1888), and his sunflower series.

While the artist's paintings are now among the most expensive in the world, during his lifetime he had no renown, living on his brother's allowance. Smithsonian Magazine reported that on the day Van Gogh passed away, he carried an unfinished letter to his brother. In it, he expressed his helplessness in life: "Well, I risked my life for my work, and my reason has almost collapsed because of it. But what can one do?"

Trinh Lam (according to AFP, Smithsonian Magazine)