Degas and Lichtenstein star in New York

AN EXHIBITION of work by the French painter and sculptor Edgar Degas is attracting large crowds to the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Degas (1834-1917) was one of the founders of Impressionism and many of his major works are in public institutions, such as the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. His work, when it comes up for sale, can attract spectacular prices.

His most famous sculpture is La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans(The Little Dancer of 14 Years). It was originally shown, to great acclaim, at the 6th Impressionist Exhibition in Paris in 1881.

Twenty-eight examples of La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Answere cast in bronze at the foundry of Adrien Hébrard. Most are in museums but 10 remain in private collections. One of these is to be auctioned by Christie's in New York on November 1st and has a pre-sale estimate of $25m-$35m (€18.15m-€25.4m). A Christie's spokesman said La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ansranks among the most-loved of all Impressionist works.

Also in New York next month, Christie's is hoping to achieve an even higher price for a major painting from the 20th century Pop Art movement. Roy Lichtenstein's 1961 painting I CAN SEE THE WHOLE ROOM! ... AND THERE'S NOBODY IN IT!is estimated at $35m-$45m (€25.4m-€32.66m) and will be auctioned on November 8th.

Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) was one of late 20th century America’s best-known artists and his paintings were inspired by comic strip images.

Christie’s said the picture, which last changed hands in 1988 for just $2.1 million, was regarded as “an essential cornerstone in the history of Pop Art” and that it “perfectly encapsulates the wisdom and wit of Lichtenstein’s greatest works, investigating the concepts and processes of painting through the use of popular imagery”.

- Degas and the Ballet: Picturing Movementruns until December 11th at the Royal Academy of Arts in London