LOS ANGELES, CA.-International fine arts auctioneers Bonhams & Butterfields will offer Modern & Contemporary Art on May 5, 2008. The auction, simulcast between the San Francisco and Los Angeles salesrooms, will feature works by preeminent artists of the 20th century, as well as works by contemporary art world icons Gustav Klimt, Arshile Gorky, Marcel Dyf, Sol Lewitt and Ellsworth Kelly.

Highlighting the spring offering is Pierre-Auguste Renoir's Anemones (est. $300/400,000). Filled with large dark hearted blooms ringed with white, the oil on canvas floral boasts a thick application of paint in a variety of vibrant shades, in the hues of red, purple, pink, blue, yellow, white and brown. "Anemones celebrates Renoir's style and conveys to the viewer a deep sense of inner feminine beauty for which he is known. Bonhams & Butterfields is pleased to offer such a distinct work from the Impressionist master," said Frank Hettig, Director of Contemporary and Modern Art at Bonhams & Butterfields.

Also featured are three works on paper by Vienna Secessionist Gustav Klimt. The group is comprised mainly of figurative sketches with Nude with Raised Arms (est. $30/50,000) as the centerpiece. Created in pencil, the piece features the depiction of a young woman partially kneeling on a bed arranging her long hair. Her torso, neck and face are highly detailed, almost to the point of exaggeration. "Many of his sketches from the 1900s including Nude with Raised Arms provide true insight into Klimt's mind and creative process. Filled with anxiety - evident in the focal points of the subject - it is one of the artist's most detailed and ornamental sketches," said Hettig.

Additional highlights from the May auction include: Ellsworth Kelly's graphite on paper work Thistle (est. $8/12,000) and a trio of oils by Marcel Dyf, including Still Life with Flowers, Flowers in front of Window and Village Street, each estimated to bring $8,000 to $12,000.

The sale also includes the latest installment of Bonhams' Made in California sale, an auction which debuted in 2007 to great success. Dedicated to Modern and Contemporary California art and culture, featured works include modernist paintings of the mid-20th century and the genre-defying work of today. Within the past 50-years, the California art scene has transformed itself from a small group of relatively unknown artists to the cutting edge of avant-garde art. Artists such as Roland Petersen, John Baldessari, Ed Ruscha, Billy Al Bengston, Ron Davis and Larry Bell are featured in these sales.

The illustrated auction catalog will be available online at www.bonhams.com/us. Previews are set for April 25-27 in San Francisco and May 2-4 in Los Angeles.