Rediscovered Cezanne painting up for auction

A rare watercolor by Post-impressionist master Paul Cezanne, thought to have been lost, has reemerged and is expected to fetch between $15 million and $20 million at auction in New York, Christie's said Tuesday.

A rare watercolor by Post-impressionist master Paul Cezanne, thought to have been lost, has reemerged and is expected to fetch between $15 million and $20 million at auction in New York, Christie's said Tuesday.

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The study for the painting Joueur des cartes ("Card Players") was last seen in public in 1953 but has now been found in a private collection in Texas, the auction house said.

It will be a highlight of the auction house's Impressionist sales in New York on May 1.

The Card Players were an important five-painting series completed by Cezanne between 1890-1896.

The study was previously known to the public only through a black and white photograph, but it was rediscovered this year in the collection of the late Dr. Heinz Eichenwald, a medical expert and art collector.