Sotheby’s is celebrating the looming spring season with a strong art sale studded with pictures likely to find favour with a market that is hungry for outstanding artworks but jaded by relatively modest offerings.

The sale is at Sydney’s InterContinental hotel on Tuesday, offering 87 works valued at a total of about $12 million. In contrast, the major spring sale by rivals Deutscher and Hackett the following evening lists 130 lots worth $6 million.