Rothko's orange earner

A post-war painting by the American Mark Rothko which is expected to make more than $30 million (£15 million) at auction went on show in London today.

The glowing work, entitled Orange, Red, Yellow, was painted in 1956 - six years after another painting in coloured strata, White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose), which set a world record for a Rothko in May last year when 92-year-old philanthropist David Rockefeller sold it through Sotheby's for $72.8 million (£36.7 million).

Orange, Red, Yellow will remain on display at the Sotheby's London showroom in New Bond Street until Wednesday.

It will then be transported to Sotheby's New York where it will be sold in twoday auction of contemporary art on 14 and 15 May. Other highlights in the sale include the most important - and valuable - work by Francis Bacon left in private hands.

The series of three paintings, Triptych, 1976, is also on display at Sotheby's until Wednesday before it is shipped to the auction when it is expected to make $70 million. The current record for a Bacon was set last year when Study for Innocent X, 1962 sold for $52.7 million.

The auction will also includeworks by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. A collection of works by artists from Joseph Beuys to Yves Klein which belonged to the late Walther Lauffs, a German industrialist, and his wife, Helga, is also being sold.