NEW YORK, NY.- Amedeo Modigliani’s Nu assis sur un divan (La Belle Romaine), the finest painting by the artist to appear at auction in recent years, will lead The Sotheby’s 2 November 2010 Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale in New York (est. in excess of $40 million**). La Belle Romaine ranks among the definitive nudes in the history of Western art, continuing in the tradition of Botticelli’s Venus, Velazquez’s Rokeby Venus, Ingres’ Baigneuse turque and Manet’s Olympia. The work will be on view in Sotheby’s Hong Kong and London galleries before returning to New York for exhibition and sale*. Simon Shaw, Head of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Department in New York, said, “La Belle Romaine is a true icon. Alongside other nudes in the series, she represents Modigliani’s greatest achievement in painting. The work and artist both have a distinguished history at Sotheby’s. La Belle Rom