With Abstract Expressionism still topping art connoisseur demand worldwide, works by established artists from this art movement are hitting record sales in 2024. One of the forthcoming audacious deals is the auction sale of two famous works by the American artist Joan Mitchell. Christie’s auction scheduled for November 19 features Mitchell’s City Landscape (1955) and Untitled (1955), which currently belong to the Rockefeller University.
Joan Mitchell (1925-1992) was one of the best-known American representatives of the 20th-century Abstract Expressionist movement. Her works acquired international fame and recognition for the artist’s signature style of using bold colors and energetic brushstrokes. Mitchell was also widely known for complex compositions and expressive, emotional landscapes sourced from her first-hand experiences and cherished memories. The artist expressed her love for nature and often used Chicago landscapes and French countryside scenery as dominant motifs of her work.
City Landscape (1955) is one of the most celebrated and recognizable paintings by Joan Mitchell, created in her signature style of capturing the emotional essence of a place. The artwork fuses Mitchell’s fresh impressions of the New York urban landscape with her memories of Chicago, depicting a dynamic and busy city rhythm in the delicate palette of blue, green, and white colors. It belongs to the period of Mitchell’s mature artistic style, with a deep sense of city life’s vibrancy skillfully captured on canvas.
City Landscape has been exhibited only twice throughout its existence, but the second painting, Untitled (1955), is surrounded by even greater mystery. It has never been on public display, so the collectors’ interest in it is naturally high. The artwork was acquired by the Rockefeller University in 1958 and has never left its walls since that moment, seen by campus staff and visitors only.
Joan Mitchell’s creative legacy has always been a matter of high art dealer and collector interest, with her paintings hitting the highest price tags at important 21st-century art auctions. For example, in November 2023, Mitchell’s 1959 painting set a record after being purchased for $29.2 million at Christie’s. The previous record was set by Blueberry (1969), a painting sold for $16.6 million at Christie’s auction in New York. These figures suggest that Joan Mitchell’s works stably reap high profits for their owners and appreciate in value as the trend for Abstract Expressionism persists.
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