Christie’s to Host Third and Final Installment of the Paul G. Allen Collection in May

The third and final installment of the Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection sale is geared up to impress art collectors after a record-breaking market debut last November. In May of 2023, Christie’s will present the final chapter of Paul G. Allen’s art collection in New York. A group of seven masterpieces by iconic artists such as David Hockney, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Edward Hopper will feature in the upcoming auction. Part 1 of the collection raked in over USD 1.5 billion in a single night. The evening sale in November of 2022 showcased over 60 masterpieces. The second leg of the sale pushed the margin further, with the collection’s valuation totaling $1,622,249,500. According to Christie’s, the preview exhibition of the 2022 collection attracted over 20,000 visitors globally.

This season’s seven visionary works display the collection’s depth, focusing on masterworks inspired by nature– a passion for the late Microsoft co-founder. Here’s a peek into the legendary artists and their works offered in this final monumental collection.

English painter David Hockney is considered one of the influential figures of the Pop Art movement. His subjects range from portraits of friends and dogs to landscapes and still lifes. Known for his distinct yet varied style, Hockney considers Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse to be early sources of inspiration. He often experiments with printmaking and collages, as well as opera set designs and digital artworks.

Hockney’s oil painting The Gate from 2000 will go under the hammer in the final installment of the Paul G. Allen Collection sale. The offered lot is a stunning landscape rendered in bright colors and layered brushstrokes. Seen in the canvas are two huge trees and a small blue gate leading to a house. Hockney’s fascination with nature and the natural world is evident in this painting. “The world is colorful. It is beautiful, I think. Nature is great,” Hockney once stated. Christie’s will present the piece with an estimate of $6 million to $8 million. Early Blossom, Woldgate (2009) and Felled Trees (2008) are two other Hockney paintings that will be available in the May event.

American Modernist artist Georgia O’Keeffe was renowned for painting enlarged flowers, urban cityscapes, and New York skyscrapers. The 20th-century artist completed more than 2,500 artworks in her lifetime. Her paintings are often associated with abstract art, Surrealism, and Expressionism. Though O’Keeffe became a household name in the American art community, she found little international success.

A Georgia O’Keeffe flower painting titled White Calico Rose will be highlighted in the upcoming sale (estimated: $6 million – $8 million). The available lot captures the tranquility and beauty of the rose. The painting also displays O’Keeffe’s mastery of innovative techniques. Black Iris VI and On the Old Santa Fe Road are two additional O’Keeffe paintings that will be featured in the Paul G. Allen Collection sale. Black Iris VI from 1936 is estimated to sell for between $5 million and $7 million. On the Old Santa Fe Road, painted between 1930 and 1931, is expected to fetch between $4 million and $6 million.

American artist Edward Hopper was one of the leading figures of American New Realism. Noted for his oil paintings, Hopper was equally proficient in etching and watercolor painting. His works often sought to portray social isolation, loneliness, regret, boredom, and similar emotional subjects. A watercolor painting by Hopper, titled Coast Guard Cove, is the final preview lot from the Paul G. Allen Collection sale catalog. It’s estimated to sell for between $600,000 and $800,000. The oil on canvas was painted in 1929 during Hopper’s second visit to Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The artwork depicts a lone coast guard boat in a distinctive landscape. This is one of many coastal-themed paintings that Hopper produced in his career.

The world tour of Paul G. Allen’s final collection started off at Christie’s Hong Kong from March 20 to 22, 2023, with the final sale taking place during Spring Marquee Week in New York City. Find further information by visiting Christie’s.

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