Abu Dhabi is set to host a landmark event in the art world. On October 1 and 2, 2025, the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation in the Saadiyat Island Cultural District will present an exhibition featuring six masterpieces valued at approximately $150 million. This exhibition marks Sotheby’s most valuable art presentation ever staged in the Middle East and its first public fine art show in the UAE.
The showcased works include:
Vincent van Gogh – Romans Parisiens (Les Livres jaunes) (1887), a vibrant still life estimated at $40 million.
Frida Kahlo – El sueño (La cama) (1940), a deeply symbolic painting exploring themes of life, death, and rebirth, with an estimated value between $40–60 million.
Paul Gauguin – La Maison de Pen du, gardeuse de vache (1889), a post-Impressionist work valued at $6–8 million.
Edvard Munch – Sankthansnatt Johannisnacht (Midsummer Night’s Eve) (1901–03), from the Leonard A. Lauder collection, estimated at over $20 million.
René Magritte – Le Jockey perdu (1942), a surrealist piece valued between $10–15 million.
Camille Pissarro – Bords de l’Oise à Pontoise (1872), an Impressionist landscape, part of the Cindy and Jay Pritzker collection.
These artworks have never been exhibited in the Middle East before, with some not seen publicly in over 50 years. After the Abu Dhabi exhibition, the works will travel to London and Paris before returning to New York for the November auctions at Sotheby’s new headquarters in the Breuer Building on Madison Avenue.
This exhibition underscores Abu Dhabi’s growing role as a global cultural hub. According to Katia Nounou Boueiz, head of Sotheby’s UAE, the event represents a significant milestone, highlighting the region’s increasing prominence in the international art scene.
For art enthusiasts and collectors, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience these iconic works in person, reflecting the dynamic cultural landscape of Abu Dhabi.
