Munch Art May Fetch $28m

Bloomberg's Scott Reyburn reports that a painting by Edvard Munch is expected to fetch a record $24 million to $28 million at Sotheby's May 7 auction of Impressionist and modern art in New York. The 1902 canvas "Girls on a Bridge" has been offered for sale by the U.K. businessman Graham Kirkham, founder of DFS Furniture Plc retail chain, said London art dealer Alan Hobart of Pyms Gallery in a telephone interview. Over the years Hobart has bought a variety of works for Kirkham, including works by George Grosz, Monet, Bacon and Old Masters such as Orazio Gentileschi. The Munch work had been acquired for what was then a record $7.7 million with fees at Sotheby's New York in November 1996, according to the saleroom result tracker Artnet. The sale of "Girls on a Bridge" didn't signify that Kirkham would be curtailing his art collecting, Hobart said. "No question," he said. "We'll still be buying." According to Artnet, the auction record for Munch is the £6.2m with fees paid for the 1904-1908 painting "Summer Day" at Sotheby's London in February 2006. (For full source and full article click the Headline). Irish Art