In Christie’s auction sale titled “A New York State of Mind: An Important Private Collection,” that will take place next month, will be offered works by leading Abstract Expressionist artists such as Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler, as well as prominent New York Neo-Expressionist artists, like Jean-Michel Basquiat and David Salle. The sale will include two paintings that are considered to be the highlights, Basquiat’s 1984 work titled MP, and Untitled work from 1958 to 1959 by Joan Mitchell. Johanna Flaum, Head of Department, Post-War and Contemporary Art, says about the sale: “From the lyricism of Joan Mitchell’s New York period to the electricity of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s downtown art scene, this collection captures the unrelenting energy and beauty of New York City.”

The first painting is a portrait that depicts Michael Patterson, Jean-Michel’s friend from the vibrant nightlife scene of 1980s New York, on an off-white background adorned with xeroxed sheets of text, symbols, and drawings. MP marks the cultural moment in which the two of them met and immortalizes Patterson as a regal presence. MP is expected to fetch up to $6 million US dollars.

The other highlight is a piece by Joan Mitchell that demonstrates the artist’s painterly language from the mid-50s, completed during a creative period when she took her place at the forefront of the New York School.

“A New York State of Mind: An Important Private Collection” sale will happen during Christie’s 20th Century Evening Sale on October 6 and its Day Sales on October 7.