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  • Frere et Soeur

    Frere et Soeur

    Actress Demi Moore will be among the highlights of Sotheby’s auction of Victorian era paintings, when two works from her collection go on the auction block. She could be in for a big payday.

    The two paintings from Moore’s collection by French artist William Bouguereau and Belgian Alfred Stevens, will be offered at an auction of 19th century European art in New York on Nov 4. They could fetch about $1.7 million.

    Click photos to enlarge.

    The auction will offer 82 works with an overall pre-sale estimate of $20 million to 30 million, according to the auction house.

    Moore said she bought the paintings 15 years ago at auction for $178,500 and $200,500 respectively, but decided they no longer fit the decor of her home, which is being renovated.

    Mere et Ses Enfants

    “I find Bouguereau to be particularly engaging for me personally and have chosen to hold on to a smaller piece to carry with me throughout the years,” Moore, 47, said in a statement.

    “I love his combination of mythological themes, classical subjects and his photo realistic style. There is a gentleness, a serenity, particularly in his depiction of women, combined with incredible strength that has inspired me.”

    Bouguereau painted “Frere et Soeur” after traveling in Italy following his win of the Prix de Rome in 1850. It is expected to sell for $1 million to 1.5 million.

    Stevens’s “Mere et ses Enfants” is a variation on a painting called “The Widow and her Children.” It was commissioned by the Belgian government. It is expected to sell for $150,000 to $200,000.