The Macklowe Collection at Sotheby’s Breaks Record, Becomes Most Valuable Collection Ever Sold at Auction

The highly anticipated return of The Macklowe Collection realized US$246.1 million, for a total of $922.2 million across two auctions — making it the the most valuable collection ever sold at auction. The evening’s highlights included Mark Rothko’s Untitled, which sold for $48 million, Gerhard Richter’s Seestück (Seascape), which realized $30.2 million, Andy Warhol’s Self Portrait, which achieved $18.7 million, and Willem de Kooning’s Untitled, which sold for $17.8 million.

The Macklowe Collection is an exemplary vision of connoisseurship: a peerless collection of rare and iconic masterworks from the 20th and 21st centuries. The result of decades of inquiry and pursuit, the Collection is driven by an innate understanding of quality and the patience to pursue the very best from each artist, creating a collection of unparalleled importance.  

Expanding upon the selection of works presented in the landmark Macklowe Collection auction in November 2021, the 30 works in the May 2022 sale of The Macklowe Collection delve deeper in an exploration of the careers and practice of such artists as Mark Rothko, Gerhard Richter, Cy Twombly, Sigmar Polke, Robert Ryman, Agnes Martin, Jeff Koons, and Andy Warhol, while simultaneously tracing new narratives through singular works by Jean Dubuffet, Roy Lichtenstein, and Donald Judd. United by their art historical significance and unique in their exceptional quality, this selection of artworks together reveals the extraordinary authority and vision that defines The Macklowe Collection.