English
Christie’s will offer a curated group of works from the collection of the late philanthropist and art collector Agnes Gund at its November auctions in New York. All proceeds will benefit the Gund Art Foundation.
Vija Celmins Leads the Sale
The top lot is Vija Celmins’s 1990 photorealistic painting Untitled (Ocean). Christie’s estimates the work at between $6 million and $8 million. It will appear in the 21st Century Evening Sale on November 19.
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Other major works include Alexander Calder’s 1963 mobile The Eye in the Black, estimated at $3 million to $5 million. Cy Twombly’s untitled 1997 bronze sculpture is also expected to attract strong interest, with an estimate of $2 million to $3 million.
A Broad Range of Artists
The collection spans several decades and features works by some of the most significant names in modern and contemporary art. Artists represented include Ellsworth Kelly, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Cindy Sherman, Robert Ryman, Cecily Brown, Glenn Ligon, and Sarah Sze.
Among the additional highlights, a 1961 painting by Ryman carries an estimate of $1.5 million to $2 million. Meanwhile, Rauschenberg’s Untitled (Gold Painting) from 1953 is expected to bring between $1 million and $1.5 million.
Christie’s will distribute the works across multiple sales. These include the November 19 evening sale, the Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale on November 20, and several online auctions.
A Legacy Built on Art and Philanthropy
Agnes Gund was one of the most influential figures in American art collecting and philanthropy. She served as president of the Museum of Modern Art from 1991 to 2002. During her tenure, she donated more than 800 works to MoMA.
In 1977, she also founded Studio in a School, a program that brings professional artists into public school classrooms. Her commitment to using art as a force for social good defined much of her public life.
Perhaps her most notable act of philanthropy came in 2017. That year, she sold Roy Lichtenstein’s Masterpiece to collector Steve Cohen for $165 million. She then directed $100 million from the sale to establish the Art for Justice Fund, which supports criminal justice reform efforts across the United States.
Sara Friedlander, Christie’s chairman of post-war and contemporary art, reflected on Gund’s enduring philosophy. “Aggie lived with the deep-seated belief that art has the ability to create positive change in the world,” Friedlander said in a statement.
