(6 Apr 2018) PICASSO, MONET WORKS UP FOR AUCTION IN ROCKEFELLER ART TROVE
An art collection amassed by billionaire David Rockefeller could raise more than $500 million for charity when it hits auction block in May.
Auctioneer Christie’s is selling hundreds of artworks from the collection of Rockefeller and his wife Peggy, including major paintings by Monet, Matisse and Picasso.
“Because the Rockefellers were both very rich and also so philanthropically involved, especially in the founding of major American museums, they had the first choice of many of the greatest works of art that came onto the market. And given that they’ve had them for 50, 60, 70 years, it has created a collection that is singular not only in America but anywhere in the world,” explained Marc Porter, Chairman of Christie’s Americas.
Rockefeller, grandson of Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller, died in March at 101.
“We don’t know what they will sell for, in part because some of the most important works have not been on the market for many, many decades and similar examples haven’t been on the market. So the great Picasso 1905, the ‘Young Girl with a Basket of Flowers,’ is the most extraordinary Picasso from his early career that we’ve seen and the estimate is around $100 million. Other very expensive paintings are the Monet waterlilies, one of the great late, large scale water colors,” said Porter.
The vast collection includes Claude Monet’s water-lily painting “Nympheas en fleur,” estimated to sell for $50 million-$70 million, and Pablo Picasso’s “Fillette a la corbeille fleurie,” which has an estimate of $90 million-$120 million.
“The public always loves to see great Monet masterpieces and the Rockefeller collection is so deep in paintings by Monet. I’d say that also this painting by Gauguin before he went to Tahiti with the bright red beach and two surfers has been popular all over the world, but will be especially popular here. And then the great American artists Edward Hopper and Georgia O’Keeffe are also represented in the collection and on view in Los Angeles and they’re extremely popular,” said Porter.
The auction also includes furniture and jewelry.
“It’s paintings, furniture, jewelry, which we have on view here in Beverly Hills, porcelain, Islamic works of art, Chinese works of art. Almost every culture in the world is represented,” Porter said.
The collection goes up for sale in New York May 7-11.
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