Rare Van Gogh masterpiece tipped to fetch $180m at auction

A painting completed by Vincent van Gogh during the final months of his life has gone on public display for the first time in more than 60 years ahead of an auction that could establish a new record for the Dutch artist.

“Châtaigniers en fleurs”, or “Chestnut Trees in Blossom”, is expected to fetch approximately $180 million when it goes under the hammer at Sotheby's in New York on 18 November.

AFP reported on Wednesday that hundreds of visitors had queued outside a Hong Kong gallery to see the painting during a preview of an important private art collection.

Completed in 1890, the work dates from the final two months of Van Gogh's life, making it one of his last paintings.

The artwork depicts a blossoming chestnut tree, with a solitary man walking past three women dressed in Japanese-style clothing.

A rare glimpse of Van Gogh's final creative period

The painting forms part of a collection assembled by the late Argentine collectors Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier and Carlos Pedro Blaquier.

Twelve works from the collection are being offered for sale, including paintings by Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne and Camille Pissarro.

According to Sotheby's, “Châtaigniers en fleurs” has not been publicly exhibited for more than six decades.

Scott Niichel, a vice-chairman at Sotheby's, described the painting to AFP as an exceptionally expressive and hopeful work from the final phase of Van Gogh's career.

The artist produced approximately 70 paintings after leaving the psychiatric hospital at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where he had earlier created “The Starry Night.”

During his final months, Van Gogh worked at an extraordinary pace, sometimes completing approximately one painting a day. He died in July 1890 at the age of 37.

Auction could break existing record

The current auction record for a Van Gogh painting stands at $117.2 million, achieved by Orchard with Cypresses in 2022.

If "Châtaigniers en fleurs" reaches its estimated $180 million valuation, it would exceed that record by more than $60 million.

The painting's rarity, provenance and connection to the artist's final creative period are expected to attract considerable interest from international collectors.

Its exhibition in Hong Kong also reflects the growing importance of wealthy Asian buyers in the international fine-art market.

The November sale will provide another indication of demand for museum-quality masterpieces at the highest end of the global art market.

Sources: AFP, 14 October 2026; Sotheby's; The Guardian, 30 September 2026.