Two paintings by famous Romanian artist Adrian Ghenie will go on sale at Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction organized in London on March 8.

One of the paintings is the 2011 Self-Portrait as Charles Darwin (opening picture), which is estimated at GBP 2 million – 3 million (EUR 2.34 million – 3.51 million).

“Created in 2011, this is the very first instance of Charles Darwin’s appearance in Ghenie’s work: a thematic focus that has fueled the artist’s acclaimed scrutiny of identity as subject to the darker vicissitudes of twentieth-century history. It is thus the first in an important and substantial series of self-portraits executed in the guise of the father of modern biological science,” reads the artwork’s presentation of Sotheby’s website.

The second painting is Memories, created in 2007. Its estimated price is GBP 350,000 – 550,000 (EUR 410,235 – 644,656).

The Wednesday auction also includes Jean Michel Basquiat's Untitled (One Eyed Man or Xerox Face) - estimated at GBP 14 million - 18 million, Andy Warhol's San Francisco Silverspot - GBP 1.4 million - 1.8 million, and Garhard Richter's Eisberg - GBP 8 million - 12 million.

Enigma, an early painting by Adrian Ghenie, was sold last week for EUR 80,000 at an Artmark auction organized in Bucharest. However, Ghenie, who is one of the most appreciated young artists in the world, set a new personal record last year, after his painting Nickelodeon sold for USD 9 million at the Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Auction organized by Christie’s in London. The painting had a starting price of USD 1.29-1.94 million.

Romania’s Adrian Ghenie, among most acclaimed at Venice Art Biennale

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com