Francis Bacon
'Figure Writing Reflected in Mirror'
Est: $30 million to $40 million
The work was included in the same 1977 show that featured Bacon's "Triptych, 1976," which sold in 2008 for $86.2 million at Sotheby's and currently holds the record price for a contemporary artwork at auction. The piece combines a self-portrait with an image of Bacon's ultimately suicidal muse George Dyer. Sotheby's contemporary evening sale on May 9 marks the first time the painting has been on the market in 35 years.