This November, Christie's New York will present its prestigious Evening Sale of Post-War and Contemporary Art, one of the most highly anticipated events of the international auction season.

This critically selected sale offers a range of paintings, photographs and sculpture from the most important artists of the 20th Century.

Property from a Distinguished Private Collection. Richard Prince (b. 1949), Lake Resort Nurse, nk-jet print and acrylic on canvas, 70 x 48 in. (177.8 x 121.9 cm.). Painted in 2003. $5,000,000–7,000,000 © Richard Prince

Richard Prince is widely recognized as one of the world's leading contemporary artists, and his Nurse paintings have become his signature series. Prince began these paintings in 2002 and each has its own individual personal mythology. The cover images of pulp romance novels, collected by Prince over the years at gas stations and convenience stores, inspired him to comment on American consumption through these images of seductive nurses whose very image is fraught with meaning.

Master Drawings of American Post-War Art: A Private Collection. Willem de Kooning (1904–1997), Woman, graphite, charcoal, pastel and oil on paper, 21 1/2 x 16 1/2 in. (54.6 x 41.9 cm.). Executed in 1951. . $3,000,000–4,000,000© 2008 Willem de Kooning Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York, NY

Abstract Expressionist artist Willem de Kooning was obsessed  with the female figure. He created a torrent of works dedicated  to the female form over many years while living in New York's  Greenwich Village in the 1950s. This charcoal and pastel Woman  of 1951 is one of the most radical drawings of the female form in  de Kooning's series. This 1951 Woman drawing rivals any of his  works on canvas in its dynamism and expressive power.

Property from an Important European Collection. Gerhard Richter (b. 1932), Abstraktes Bild (710), oil on canvas, 102 1/2 x 78 3/4 in. (260 x 200 cm.). Painted in 1989.. ESTIMATE ON REQUEST © 2008 Gerhard Richter, Cologne

One of the most important Post-World War II artists, Gerhard Richter has created some of the most compelling abstract paintings throughout the history of art. Nonrepresentational paintings like Abstraktes Bild (710) from 1989 not only demonstrate his extraordinary color palette but also provide a unique insight into his working methods. Richter builds layer upon layer of paint to achieve the visual effects and desired color gradations, then scrapes away to reveal the layers underneath, resulting in a shimmering, complex surface that is mesmerizing in its beauty.

Alexander Calder (1898–1976), Constellation with Red Knife, wood and painted wire, 19 x 22 x 14 in. (48.3 x 55.9 x 35.6 cm.). Executed circa 1943.. $3,000,000–4,000,000© 2008 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

As a leading American modernist, Alexander Calder's experiments in sculpture make him one of the most influential artists of his time.
His Constellation with Red Knife effectively engages his experiments with open form, and follows in the footsteps of avant-garde artists  such as Picasso, Giacometti and Miró. This sculpture, an exceptional example of the artist's renowned Constellation series, demonstrates Calder's ingenious use of the humble materials of polychrome wood and wire to create a work that is truly intriguing and unique.

Christie's New York. Evening Sale of Post-War and Contemporary Art. November 12. Images 2008 Christie's Ltd. www.christie's.com