Artist Jasper Johns' iconic painting of the American flag, which is in the collection of the late author Michael Crichton, could bring between $10 and $30 million at auction tonight.
"Flag," the crown jewel of Crichton's collection, is one of more than 100 pieces at auction tonight and Wednesday at Christie's in New York. Christie's called it one of the greatest icons of modern art alongside Picasso's "Guernica" and Andy Warhol's "Marilyn."
Crichton bought it in 1973 and had it hanging in his Beverly Hills home. It has been exhibited only once. He died unexpectedly in November 2008 after a private battle against cancer.
Last week, "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust," a 1932 Picasso painting of his mistress, set a world record for any work of art at auction when it sold for $106.5 million at Christie's New York.
Other highlights in the Crichton collection include Oldenburg's 1970 "Three Way Plug Soft Sculpture," estimated at $250,000 to $350,000; Lichtenstein's "Girl in Water," estimated at $800,000 to $1.2 million; and Robert Rauschenberg's "Studio Painting," estimated at $6 million to $9 million. Read more here.
