NEW YORK.- After the success of its California, Western and American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture sale in November 2004, which produced the highest Christie’s Los Angeles sale total ever for this auction category, Christie’s announces details of its April 27 sale - to be held in its Beverly Hills saleroom.

Over 100 lots feature in the sale, including seminal works by leading California Impressionism and Western artists. The sale is expected to realize in excess of $4 million.

Highlights include:La Grosse Pierre, Giverny by Guy Rose (1867-1925) – one of the most important American Impressionists, and the leading California exponent of the style, Rose studied and worked with Monet and his oeuvre reached its zenith with his depictions of California seascapes and Giverny in France – this work, estimated at $700,000-900,000, is one of the finest French canvases he produced.

Indian Girl with Sunflowers by Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955) – a respected member of the Taos community of artists, this beautiful portrait is a very important work, created when he was producing his finest accomplishments in oil. Fechin, a Russian-trained painter, was renowned for his American Indian portraits and this rare example with a young full-length sitter is estimated at $250,000-350,000.

Spring, 1916 by William Wendt (1865-1946) – known as the ‘Dean’ of California Impressionism, Wendt was drawn from his hometown of Chicago by the dramatic landscape and brilliant light of southern California. A man who rejected modernity as a subject matter, Wendt devoted himself to the untouched landscape and this work, fresh to market and acquired directly from the artist by the current vendor, is one of his finest examples (estimate: $300,000-500,000).