Twice a year, in May and November, New York hosts the art world’s most influential collectors for the much-anticipated Marquee auctions. This November, the city’s auction houses are forecasted to bring in an impressive $1.2 to $1.6 billion, mirroring last spring's estimates of $1.2 to $1.8 billion. A significant share of this revenue comes from single-owner collections, such as those of Mica Ertegun at Christie’s and Sydell Miller at Sotheby’s. These figures fall short of prior years: last November, Emily Fisher Landau’s collection alone brought in $406.4 million at Sotheby’s, while Paul G. Allen’s collection reached $1.6 billion in a single night at Christie’s in 2022. Still, collectors have plenty to be excited about, including a likely record-breaking sale for Belgian Surrealist René Magritte.
Sotheby's
On November 18, Sotheby’s opens Marquee Week with the sale of beauty entrepreneur and philanthropist Sydell Miller’s collection. Organised in four sales across November and December, the collection is estimated to achieve a combined total of about $200 million.
See also: Monet’s Seminal Nymphéas Debuts at $30 Million in Hong Kong
The sale is led by Claude Monet’s Nymphéas, a 1914-17 work estimated at $60 million, following a recent sale of a piece from the same series for $30 million at Christie’s Hong Kong. Pablo Picasso’s Le Statuaire, the artist’s first depiction of a female artist, is expected to fetch $30 million.
Later that evening, Sotheby’s Modern Evening Auction will offer three important works from the collection of Harry F. Guggenheim, all appearing at auction for the first time. Leading the sale is Alberto Giacometti’s bronze Buste (Tête tranchante) (Diego), a standout piece from Giacometti’s first museum exhibition at the Guggenheim in 1955, now estimated at $10–$15 million. Other highlights include Franz Marc’s The Large Yellow Horse (1913), a masterpiece from a pivotal year in the artist's career, estimated at $8–$12 million, and Paul Gauguin’s significant sculpture La Femme noire, estimated at $700,000–$1 million.
See also: Three Major Works from the Harry F. Guggenheim Collection to be Auctioned at Sotheby’s
On November 20, Sotheby’s The Now and Contemporary Evening Sale offers a dynamic selection led by Ed Ruscha’s expansive Georges’ Flag, one of the artist’s largest American flag paintings. Also drawing attention is Maurizio Cattelan’s provocative Comedian—the infamous duct-taped banana—which carries an estimate of $1 million. The work had first sold for $120,000 at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019.
See also: The Story Behind That $120k Banana
Sotheby’s Contemporary Day Auction on November 21 features 31 original New York City subway drawings by Keith Haring, created between 1980 and 1985. These works, appearing at auction for the first time, carry a combined estimate of $6.3–$9 million.
Christie's
The highly anticipated sale of designer, philanthropist, and collector Mica Ertegun’s collection takes place at Christie’s on November 19. Estimated at $140–$166 million, the collection features 19 blue-chip works, including pieces by David Hockney and Joan Miró. Leading the sale is René Magritte’s L’Empire des lumières (1954), the most valuable lot of the season. Estimated at $95 million, this version is guaranteed to break the artist’s record, set at Sotheby’s in 2022 when a 1961 version sold for £59.4 million (approximately $79.2 million).
See also: This Magritte Masterpiece Sets Two Records
Christie’s 20th Century Evening Sale, rounding out the night, is headlined by Ed Ruscha’s Standard Station, Ten-Cent Western Being Torn in Half, reportedly consigned by Texas oil billionaire Sid Bass. As the last large-scale 1960s piece by Ruscha in private hands and a centrepiece of his recent MoMA and LACMA retrospectives, it is anticipated to exceed $50 million, surpassing Ruscha’s 2019 record of $46 million.
Other notable lots include two early paintings by Joan Mitchell, estimated at $9–$12 million and $15–$20 million, respectively, and Alberto Giacometti’s 1961 sculpture Femme qui marche (II), estimated at $20–$30 million. Monet’s Apple Trees in Blossom (1872), consigned by the Union League Club of Chicago to fund its building's restorations, is expected to fetch $7–$10 million.
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To end Marquee week, Christie's 21st Century Evening Sale will offer works by both blue-chip and emerging artists including Jeff Koons and Cecily Brown. A 1982 sketch by Jean-Michel Basquiat, estimated at between $20-$30 million, might break a record for a work on paper by the artist.
Additionally, a comprehensive collection of Picasso ceramics will be auctioned online from November 8–22.
