Van Gogh painting expected to fetch $180 million at upcoming auction

Hundreds of visitors queued in Hong Kong this Tuesday to view Vincent van Gogh’s 1890 painting "Châtaigniers en fleurs" (Chestnut Trees in Blossom). The artwork, which has not been publicly exhibited for over six decades, is scheduled to be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York on November 18. Experts estimate the painting could fetch approximately $180 million, potentially setting a new auction record for a work by the Dutch master.

Painted in May 1890, just two months before Van Gogh’s death at age 37, the piece stems from the artist's final period in the French village of Auvers-sur-Oise. Scott Niichel of Sotheby’s noted that the work represents a rare and significant moment of optimism in the painter's career, following his release from a psychiatric asylum in Saint-Remy-de-Provence. Because works from this period are rarely available on the market, the auction is expected to draw significant interest from international investors, museums, and private collectors, serving as a litmus test for the resilience of the high-end art market amid current economic uncertainty.