Three rare paintings by chimpanzee artist Congo, completed in the late 1950s, will be sold at London's Bonhams auction house next month. The lot is estimated to sell for $1,130-$1,500. From the Associated Press:
Congo, who was born in 1954, produced some 400 drawings and paintings between the ages of 2 and 4. It was not immediately known if he was still alive, a Bonhams spokeswoman said.
In 1957, animal behaviorist Desmond Morris organized an exhibition of chimpanzee art at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts, including works by Congo. Critics reacted with a mixture of scorn and skepticism, but Picasso is recorded as having owned a painting by Congo, Bonhams said.