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Sotheby's Auction To Feature Munch's 'The Scream'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An art auction in New York City will feature the Edvard Munch masterpiece, "The Scream.''

Sotheby's announced Tuesday that the work will lead its Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on May 2.

The work, which dates from 1895, is one of four versions of the composition. The auctioneer says it's the only version still in private hands.

The head of Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern Art department in New York, Simon Shaw, says works like "The Scream'' are instantly recognizable.

"There are few images of any type that one could show on the street in any city of the western world and expect that most of the poeple looking at it would know what it was," he said.

Shaw says works like this rarely come up for auction and says the price could exceed $80 million.

"It's sure to generate huge excitement among museums and collectors," he said. "But ultimately, the market will be the judge."

The consignor is a Norwegian businessman, Petter Olsen. His father, Thomas, was a friend, neighbor and patron of Munch.       Olsen says proceeds from the sale will go toward the establishment of a museum, art center and hotel in Hvitsten, Norway.

For more information about the auction, click here.

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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