Koons\' \'Rabbit\' and Monet\'s \'Meules\' up for bid

A stainless steel rabbit could snare about $70 million when it goes under the hammer at Christie's on Wednesday.

Sculptor Jeff Koons's iconic work has elicited gasps and great praise over the years.

Created in 1986, it has adorned book and magazine covers and a blow-up version was featured in Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

It's one of 900 works for sale that are expected to fetch a total exceeding $800 million.

Christie's chairman of post-war and contemporary art, Alex Rotter, contrasts the hare with the defining work by the Renaissance master, Michelangelo: SOUNDBITE: CHRISTIE'S CHAIRMAN OF POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART, ALEX ROTTER (ENGLISH) SAYING: "When it was first shown in 1986, there was a big stir about it.

The opinions would vary from like, horrible to amazing.

/edit/ It also stands as one of the most important sculptures of the second half of the 20th century.

It is for me, the antithesis ot the David (sculpted by Michelangelo).

It's the anti-Davids." A hop and a skip away at rival auction house Sotheby's, this painting, "Meules" by Claude Monet is estimated to pull in more than $55 million.

It's one of 25 canvases the French Impressionist produced in his famed grainstacks series.

Sotheby's vice chairman of the Americas, August Uribe: SOUNDBITE: SOTHEBY'S VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE AMERICAS, AUGUST URIBE (ENGLISH) SAYING: "This is, of the entire series, the one which is brightest in color and most modern in its approach to capturing that fleeting moment." It goes up for bid on Tuesday.