One of Tamara Łempicka's most scandalous works is back on the art market. Up to 40 million in play

Tamara Łempicka, known outside Poland as Tamara de Lempicka, is one of the best-selling painters of all time. Collectors can already sharpen their teeth for her next work, which will go under the hammer on June 24. For the first time in 40 years, Sotheby's will be auctioning "La Belle Rafaëla" - a sensual portrait of the Polish artist's lover and muse. It is estimated that the work, painted in 1927, could fetch between 6 and 8 million pounds, or around 30-40 million PLN.

Tamara Łempicka has fascinated art lovers for years. Some are seduced by the art deco star's paintings, others by her incredibly rich biography, also woven with threads that may not be true. Moreover, it is not without reason that Łempicka is called a master of self-promotion. Today, her works are among the most desired.

There is no doubt that the auction of the painting "La Belle Rafaëla", which will go under the hammer on June 24 , will end in a fierce fight. The heroine of this portrait is Rafaëla - a prostitute whom Łempicka met in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris in the mid-1920s and whom she described as "the most beautiful woman I have ever met" . Rafaëla was the artist's lover and muse.

- "La Belle Rafaëla" is simply a masterpiece. Łempicka revolutionized the art world by presenting a seductive female nude from a female perspective, at a time when the narrative of art was oriented towards men - says André Zlattinger, head of the modern art department at Sotheby's Europe , quoted in the press release.

La Belle Rafaëla - fragment of a painting by Tamara Łempicka - 1927 / Sotheby's press materials

The sensual portrait was last auctioned in 1985, when it was sold for $242,000 , a record price at the time. After 40 years, the work is back on the art market, and this time its value is much higher. It is estimated that at Sotheby's, the painting could fetch between 6 and 8 million pounds, or about 30-40 million PLN.