A painting by renowned French artist Paul Cézanne titled "Little Girl with a Parrot" sold for €381,000 at a Christie's auction in Paris on Friday, October 24, significantly surpassing its initial estimated value of €80,000 to €120,000. The artwork, which depicts a young girl holding a parrot on her hand, was painted around 1860 during Cézanne's early artistic period.
The painting had been prominently featured throughout the summer in the exhibition "Cézanne at Jas de Bouffan" at the Granet Museum in Aix-en-Provence, where it drew considerable attention from art enthusiasts and scholars. The exhibition showcased various works from Cézanne's time at his family estate, providing visitors with insight into the artist's formative years and personal life.
According to Bruno Ely, the director and chief curator of the Granet Museum, the young subject in the painting may have been one of Cézanne's own sisters. "This is the period when Cézanne frequently depicted members of his family," Ely explained. "We can imagine that his little sister, whose name was Rose, could have been the model for this painting." This personal connection adds significant historical and emotional value to the artwork.
The substantial sale price reflects the continued strong market demand for Cézanne's works, particularly those with documented provenance and exhibition history. The painting's recent display at the prestigious Granet Museum, combined with its early dating from around 1860, likely contributed to the intense bidding that drove the final price well beyond initial expectations. This sale demonstrates how Cézanne's intimate family portraits continue to captivate collectors and art lovers more than a century after his death.
