Freeman’s to Sell Masterpiece by Josef Šíma on April 29
It will lead their Impressionist and Modern Art sale in New York
Freeman’s will hold its Impressionist and Modern Art auction on April 29, 2026, at its New York saleroom. Leading the sale is the rediscovery of Europa (1927) (Lot 22), a painting by Josef Šíma estimated at $300,000–500,000. Absent from public view for nearly a century and only recently authenticated, the work is among the most significant reappearances of a 20th-century avant-garde painting in recent memory.
Painted in Paris during a pivotal moment in Šíma’s career, Europa embodies the artist’s shift away from Cubism toward a deeply symbolic and metaphysical visual language. The composition—featuring two headless torsos beneath a hovering cosmic egg—explores themes of creation, unity, and the origins of existence. The egg, a recurring motif in Šíma’s work, serves as a powerful symbol of both genesis and universal connection.
Lot 22 | Josef Šíma (Czech, 1891-1971) | Europa, 1927 | Estimate: $300,000-500,000
Property from the Ingersoll Family Collection, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Previously unknown to scholars, this version of Europa is closely related to the artist’s celebrated example in the Moravian Gallery in Brno, long considered unique. Its rediscovery has prompted renewed scholarly attention, with leading Šíma scholar Rea Michalová, Ph.D describing it as “the rediscovery of the century.” Following a year of rigorous authentication, including forensic and archival analysis, the painting is now recognized as an unquestionably authentic and major work of the European avant-garde.
Offering his reflections on this exciting rediscovery is Raphaël Chatroux, Vice President, Head of Department, Impressionist and Modern Art. “I couldn't be more thrilled to be bringing Josef Sima's Europa back into the light. After nearly a century, its reappearance on the open market is a groundbreaking event. It allows us to better understand the artist's working method and to better grasp his immense talent. It's also so very refreshing to bring a work that offers many more layers and nuances to the Surrealist movement. Europa brings alone a degree of poetry, mysticism, and beauty that is rare in today's landscape".
Adding to its significance is the painting’s exceptional provenance. First owned by visionary collector Bernard M. Davis, Europa later entered the collection of Robert Sturgis Ingersoll, a prominent figure in American cultural life and longtime director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The work has remained in the Ingersoll family collection for decades, preserving its remarkable historical continuity.
Additional Sale Highlights
From Left to Right: Lot 45 | Nicolai Fechin (Russian, 1881-1955) Girl with White Headscarf, c. late 1920s Estimate: $250,000 - 400,000
Lot 44 | Gabriele Münter (German, 1877-1962) | Stilleben mit grauer Teekanne (Still Life with Gray Teakettle), 1935 | Estimate: $50,000 - 80,000
Lot 9 | Grigory Gluckmann (Belarusian, 1898-1973) | Ballet Dancer | Estimate: $40,000 - 60,000
The April 29 sale also includes a broad selection of works tracing modern art across Europe and America. Highlights include Young Girl with White Headscarf by Nicolai Fechin (Lot 45), which blends Russian academic training with expressive, impressionistic brushwork, and Gluckmann's dancer compositions (Lot 9, Lot 10), which offer a quieter counterpoint to the theatricality of Edgar Degas. Two works by Basil Marros (Lot 40, Lot 49), an underappreciated Greek Modernist influenced by Fernand Léger will also take center stage. Also featured is Still Life with Gray Teakettle (1935) by Gabriele Münter (Lot 44), which draws on influences from Henri Matisse and Vincent van Gogh into a bold, personal visual language. The sale spans a wide cross-section of Impressionist and Modern work.
· Lot 36 | Henri Jean Guillaume Martin (French, 1860-1943) | Labastide du Vert (Lot), 1908 | Estimate: $80,000 - 120,000
· Lot 18 | Henri Matisse (French, 1869-1954) | Pensive Woman, c. 1906 | Estimate: $50,000 - 70,000
· Lot 24 | Christian Bérard (French, 1902–1949) | Pair of Cartouches for the "Bal du Panache" held at the Maison de L'Amérique Latine, Paris, 1947 | Estimate: $50,000 - 80,000
· Lot 61 | Albert Marquet (French, 1875-1947) | Vue de Laghouat à Travers la Palmeraie (Algérie), 1921 | Estimate: $40,000 - 60,000
How to Bid
Europa will be offered at auction on April 29 at 10 AM ET in Freeman’s New York saleroom. Bidding will be available in person, over the phone, and via absentee or live online bidding.