Mondrian's Composition III (1920) to Debut at Christie's London, Est. $40.8M
On October 14, during Frieze Week, Christie's will present its 20th/21st Century Evening Sale in London, featuring Piet Mondrian's Composition III (1920), which is hitting the auction block for the first time. This piece is projected to fetch between £20 million and £30 million (around $27 million to $41 million). It was owned by American architect Armand P. Bartos and his wife Celeste from 1952 until 1973 and is now in the hands of a private collector. Keith Gill, the vice chairman for 20th/21st century art at Christie's, highlighted its significance as a crucial work in Mondrian's body of art. Christie's has a history of auctioning Mondrian pieces, such as the 2009 sale of Composition avec bleu, rouge, jaune et noir (1922) for $27.9 million.
Key facts
- Composition III (1920) by Piet Mondrian will be auctioned at Christie's London on October 14 during Frieze Week.
- The painting is estimated at £20 million to £30 million ($27 million to $41 million).
- It is the first time Composition III has appeared at auction.
- The work was previously owned by Armand P. Bartos and Celeste from 1952 to 1973.
- Keith Gill, Christie's vice chairman, called it a breakthrough moment in Mondrian's career.
- Christie's previously sold Mondrian works from the Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé collection in 2009.
- Sotheby's holds the current auction record for Mondrian with Composition No. II (1930) at $51 million in 2022.
- In 2025, Christie's sold another Mondrian for $47.6 million from the Leonard & Louise Riggio collection.
Entities
Artists
- Piet Mondrian
- Armand P. Bartos
- Yves Saint Laurent
- Pierre Bergé
Institutions
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York
- United States
- Ireland