LONDON.- Sotheby’s is set to cement its position as the leader in the field of Old Master, Modern and Contemporary prints with its autumn print sale which features a range of works by some of the greatest artists who have worked in the medium, including Munch, Picasso and Warhol. The exhibition will take place at Sotheby’s New Bond Street Galleries from Sunday 28 September to Wednesday 1 October 2008.

Discussing the sale, Courtney Booth, Sotheby’s specialist in Modern and Contemporary prints, said “Given the incredibly strong level of interest in the work of Edvard Munch Sotheby’s are delighted to feature many fine examples of the Norwegian artist’s most significant images. Sales of Munch prints have been strong for several years but have noticeably taken off since 2005. Of particular interest in this sale is Vampire II (Woll 41) which depicts a man locked in a female vampire’s tortured embrace (Lot No 81, est. £300,000-400,000). A dramatically evocative rendition of one of the artist’s recurring themes, this impression is remarkable not only as an example of Munch’s technical innovation, combining both lithograph and woodcut, but also in its vivid coloration of green, blue and ochre.”

In Melancholy III (Woll 203) there is no need to guess the cause of the man’s depression; his former lover can be seen leaving with her husband in the background. Jappe Nilssen, Munch’s friend who is depicted in this very rare, early impression, stares out towards the sea in a state of despondency (lot 79, est. £150,000 – 200,000). Rounding out the Munch group is a particularly striking example of Fertiliy (Woll 160); this particular impression was not only printed twice by the artist himself, but was then lavishly worked over with an array of watercolors. (lot 83, est. £350,000 – 400,000).

The sale also features a wide selection of iconic pop art pieces, with strong examples by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Warhol’s set of ten Mao screen prints is a notable highlight. The work reinterprets the cover portrait from the Little Red Book which detailed the ideology of the Chinese communist leader (lot 283 estimated at £350,000 – 400,000). With characteristic irreverence, Warhol transforms the man responsible for suppressing artistic freedom in the Cultural Revolution into a garish pop icon.

Also prominent in the pop art section are three portfolios published by Original Editions in the mid 1960s, “11 Pop Artists Vol I, Vol II and Vol III” offered as lots 254 est. £20,000 – 30,000 , 255 est. £70,000 – 90,000 and 256 est. £40,000 – 60,000. In addition to offering a fascinating insight into the artists considered most collectable at the time -- Allan D’Arcangelo and Gerald Laing are included alongside Warhol and Lichtenstein –- the works will appeal to collectors as they are extraordinarily fresh, having virtually never been taken out of the box. Many of the images possess brilliant coloration which is rarely seen on the market, including the Lichtenstein works Moonscape in lot 254 est. £200,000 –300,000 and Reverie in lot 255 est. £70,000 – 90,000 and Warhol’s Jackie III in lot 256 est. £40,000 - £60,000.

The sale will also include an impressive selection of Picasso prints left by Haaken A. Christensen to the humanitarian charity Médecins Sans Frontières. This sale follows the incredible success of works sold from the estate in June’s Impressionist sale which achieved £13,022,250 against an estimate of £5.6 – 8.5 million. Christensen was a prolific collector and dealer who bought many works directly from the artist’s early dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler. Figure du Corsage Rayé, a richly inked lithograph depicting the head of the artist’s mistress Francoise on a beautiful purple background is a notable highlight (lot 103 est. £30,000 – 50,000).

The sale will also offer a range of contemporary artists including Francis Bacon’s Study for a Portrait of Pope Innocent X, (Lot 184, est. £8,000 – 10,000). Among the Hirst works appearing is the spot print Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (Lot 206, est. £4,000-6,000). Contemporary Chinese prints also have a strong presence with works by many major artists including several works by Zhang Xiaogang notably Amnesia and Memory (Lot 227, est. £18,000 – 25,000).