Pierre-Auguste Renoir's Etude de Baigneuses is to lead an impressionist and modern art day sale at Sotheby's London on February 4.

The painting, valued at £500,000-700,000 ($758,660-1m) dates to around 1915 and depicts a group of women bathing, one of the artist's favourite subjects.

Renoir often returned to the theme of bathers

Sotheby's comments: "Renoir's approach to this subject underwent a series of transformations in the 1870s and 1880s, resulting in some of his most iconic and best-loved works.

"The present work is a superlative example of this important theme."

Henri Edmond Cross' La Plaine de Bormes is likely to prove another highlight with a valuation of £350,000-450,000 ($548,765-705,555).

Cross (1856-1910) worked primarily as a neo-impressionist, his work paving the way for the fauvists - who were inspired by his vivid landscapes.

He described his process thus: "I compose in the studio, coming as close as possible to my interior vision; then, the harmony being established… I set about making my sensations objective - sensations corresponding to the initial vision - in front of nature."

Other artists featured in the sale include Salvador Dali and Edgar Degas. The auction is preceded by an evening sale on February 3 that includes Matisse's Odalisque au fauteuil noir, which is valued at £12m ($18.2m).

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