Sotheby’s is set to offer 100 lots at a first-of-its-kind sale in Saudi Arabia next month. The two-part evening auction begins on February 8 at Diriyah and will showcase an exciting global variety of art and luxury collectibles—including a million-dollar Magritte, a Michael Jordan jersey, and much more.
Two-Part Evening Sales in Saudi Arabia Begin February 8
Sotheby’s inaugural two-part evening sales start on February 8 at Diriyah, a historic town on the outskirts of Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh. Diriyah is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the original home of the Saudi royal family. According to a statement from Sotheby’s, “The auction will span the timeline of Western art history from important works of Impressionism, Surrealism and Modern art by René Magritte, Pablo Picasso, Henri Martin, Paul Delvaux, Wassily Kandinsky through to some of the best-known names in contemporary art worldwide, including Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, Damien Hirst, George Condo, and Nicholas Party.”
Sotheby’s also unveiled a lineup of leading Arab art and luxury collectibles. The latter category includes a basketball jersey that Michael Jordan wore during his final season with the Chicago Bulls, estimated at $800,000 to $1.2 million. The February sale, which Sotheby’s first announced in November 2024, will be the first international auction in Saudi Arabia’s history. The auction house had already announced plans to open a Saudi Arabia outpost in Riyadh’s financial district.
Million-Dollar Magritte Leads Sotheby’s Saudi Arabia Debut
Among the most expensive and exciting works that Sotheby’s will offer in Saudi Arabia is a gouache painting by Rene Magritte, the 20th-century Belgian Surrealist who set a $121 million auction record at Christie’s last November. L’État de veille is estimated to fetch $1 million to $1.5 million. Man on a Horse, a sculpture by the Colombian artist Fernando Botero, is also estimated to sell for at least $1 million. Work by Botero, who is famous for his distinctively exaggerated figuration, has doubled its market value in recent years, according to the Artnet Price Database. The artist died in 2023 at age 91. Man on a Horse comes from his son’s collection.
Get the latest articles delivered to your inbox
Sign up to our Free Weekly Newsletter
Arab Art Takes Center Stage at Sotheby’s
Various works by leading Arab artists will also hit the auction block during Sotheby’s Saudi Arabia sales. In a statement, Sotheby’s announced, “The auction offers one of the most iconic images in the world of modern Arab art: Louay Kayyali’s ultimate masterpiece, Then What?? (estimate: $500,000-700,000), which is anticipated to achieve an auction record.” Louay Kayyali was a Syrian modern artist who died in 1978. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and became known for his evocative portraits of working-class subjects. The Artnet Price Database reports that Bonhams set the auction record for Kayyali last year when his 1976 portrait Fisherboy fetched $341,080.
Other highlights include Illumination Diptych (Ottoman Waqf) by Saudi Arabian artist Ahmed Mater, which heads to auction with a high estimate of $70,000, and the large-scale Blue Trap in a Railroad by Palestinian-American artist Samia Halaby, which carries a high estimate of $200,000.
