A work by one of the art world’s most sought after post-war figures, Francis Bacon, is to be sold for up to £6 million.

Figure In Movement, which dates from 1985, has been on extended loan to Tate Britain for a decade and was originally a gift from the British artist to his doctor.

The painting is to be sold by Sotheby’s in New York and is said to be the most significant painting by Bacon to appear at auction in several seasons.

The painting, which has an estimated price of between £4 and £6 million, is being exhibited at Sotheby’s in London. It will be sold at Sotheby’s New York on November 9.

Figure In Movement was a present for Bacon’s doctor Paul Brass, whose father Stanley had also been the artist’s physician.Bacon had offered Dr Brass a choice of his works.

The painting has been seen in a number of exhibitions including the Centenary Retrospective in 2008, as well as shows at the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

Experts believe the figure depicted bears many similarities to John Edwards, a member of Bacon’s inner circle who also used Dr Brass.