Allen’s collection includes sculptures like Louise Bourgeois’s Black Flames, Baroque-era masterpieces like Jan Brueghel the Younger’s The Five Senses, and Georges Seurat’s Les Poseuses Ensemble (Petite version). 1, to his first major purchase, Monet’s Water Lily Pond, landscapes are a key element to the collection, but by no means the only subject featured. From Klimt’s Birch Forest to Georgia O’Keeffe’s White Rose with Larkspur No. It is somewhat rare to have a personal collection spanning across 500 years of history and a wide range of art movements, from European-centric waves to African and Aboriginal art. Courtesy of Christie’sĪs Allen’s collection was revealed, what came as a surprise to many is just how expansive his assortment was. Gustav Klimt, Birch Forest, 1903, oil on canvas. It was first announced by Christie’s in August, but it wasn’t until September that the auction house began releasing what exact pieces it consisted of. The collection is set to be the most expensive ever sold, valued at more than $1 billion, with all proceeds going to philanthropic causes. This painting is one of over 150 works that will be auctioned on behalf of Allen by his estate. He often spoke of the beauty he found in Gustav Klimt’s work and spent more than $40 million on Klimt’s Birch Forest in 2006. While most collectors prefer not to disclose what pieces are in their personal arsenal, some of Allen’s purchases were known based on his various interviews over the years. An avid collector and art lover, Allen has been known to have an affinity for landscapes, calling them “windows into different realities,” as they offer a look into the way an artist sees the world around them. One such collection is that of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, whose pieces will be auctioned at Christie’s in November.

Recently, other upcoming auctions of artists’ series and private collections have been announced too, garnering similar levels of attention and excitement.Ĭlaude Monet, Waterloo Bridge, effet de brume, ca. Frieze London, which is just now wrapping up, saw its auction portion rake in the highest sales in seven years, according to Sotheby’s, at $107 million. This past summer, museum-quality Monet series paintings sold at Christie’s, a Jubilee Season series at Sotheby’s, and Old Masters sales at both houses, among others. In May, two weeks of marquee evening sales in New York City broke records for many contemporary artists, pushing the total for spring sales from Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips well above $2.5 billion. But this year has proven that the world of auctions is far from seasonal, and the art market, in the words of many dealers, is stronger than ever. It’s often said that the second half of the year is the best time for auctions – starting with estate sales and lower-priced branches of auction house sales in the summertime and picking up steam through the holiday season.

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