For sale: art by Congo the chimp

Congo the chimpanzee had a brief artistic career and enjoyed little critical success, despite the patronage of his contemporary and fellow abstract painter, Pablo Picasso. But nearly 50 years later, three of his paintings are going on sale at prestigious London auction house Bonhams alongside works by Andy Warhol and Renoir. The lot estimate is between $1,130 to $1,500.

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.