# @sothebys on YouTube

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://youtube.com/watch?v=L6-YJZ1560Y
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/30232392-sothebys-youtube
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/faead1f4d2.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-05-05T16:04:06.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Sotheby's (@sothebys) — https://gondola.cc/sothebys

## Caption

Michael Armitage doesn’t just paint—he rewires the way we see history. 'Mpeketoni' might appear dreamlike at first glance, but look closer: bark cloth ripples like skin, spectral figures hover in jewel-toned pools, and a haunting backstory quietly emerges beneath the surface.

In this episode of Expert Voices, Sotheby’s specialist Ottilie Windsor unpacks how a massacre, a dance, and a centuries-old piece of cloth collide in one of the most emotionally charged works of Armitage’s career. With nods to Matisse, Goya, Gauguin, and a clear rejection of exoticism, 'Mpeketoni' isn’t just a painting—it’s a powerful act of storytelling.

And once you’ve seen it, it won’t leave you alone.

Michael Armitage’s 'Mpeketoni' heads to auction with an estimate of $2–3 million as part of The Now and Contemporary Evening Auction, presented in partnership with CELINE, live at Sotheby’s New York on 15 May at 7:30 PM EST. 

Still haven’t subscribed to Sotheby’s on YouTube? ►► https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCelkSnSbxvIfjjD01uPHHbg

Want more information about the sale? ►►
https://www.sothebys.com/en/auction-catalogue/2025/the-now-and-contemporary-evening-auction-N11725?s=intro

 #sothebys #contemporaryart  #art  #arthistory  #fineart  #deepdive  #explainervideo  #africa  #history   #artexplained  #textiles #fabric #artauction #artcollector #collector #africanart  #painting 

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## Stats

- **Views:** 5,432
- **Likes:** 66
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 2

## Tags

sothebys, history, africanart, fabric, artcollector, africa, textiles, painting, artexplained, explainervideo, artauction, art, arthistory, deepdive, collector, fineart, contemporaryart

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