Rockefeller Center, New York, updated: 22 May 2026, 2:00pm ET.
Christie’s 20th and 21st Century Art sales week in New York marked a season of remarkable collections from distinguished patrons, including S.I. Newhouse, Agnes Gund, Henry S. McNeil, Jr., Marian Goodman and Lorinda Payson De Roulet, as well as Marilyn Arison and Joanna Carson, amongst others.
A resounding success, it was Christie’s highest-ever result for the May sales season. At the close of the week, total sales reached $1,453,504,726.
The auctions attracted bidders and buyers from around the world. Bids flew in online and via the phone while palpable energy in the packed saleroom — anchored by the newly-designed oak rostrum, which was hand-made by Sir Jony Ive and the LoveFrom team for Christie’s 260th anniversary this year — followed a 10-day exhibition that broke the attendance record for any one sale exhibition preview at Christie’s Rockefeller Center in New York with over 20,000 visitors.
New artist records were set for Jackson Pollock, Constantin Brancusi, Mark Rothko, Joan Miró, Josef Albers, Alice Neel, El Lissitzky, Bridget Tichenor and Somaya Critchlow. Records in medium were set for Henri Matisse, Donald Judd, Aleksandr Rodchenko and Remedios Varo.
The week kicked off on 18 May with Masterpieces: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse followed by the 20th Century Evening Sale. Together the sales showcased a century of sweeping change and radical reinvention in the art world. Cumulatively, the evening’s sales totalled $1,121,126,500, selling 97% by lot and 99% by value.
On Tuesday, outperforming expectations and setting two artist records, the Impressionist and Modern Works on Paper Sale and Impressionist and Modern Art Day Sale together achieved $62,975,806.
On Wednesday evening, the sales of Defined Space: The Collection of Henry S. McNeil, Jr. and Marian’s Richters & 21st Century Evening Sale continued the momentum, cumulatively achieving $162,698,350 and selling 98% by lot and 98% by value. It was the highest 21st Century Evening Sale in five years.
Thursday’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale achieved $102,854,700 selling 93% by lot and 96% by value, the highest total in seven years.
Marquee Week Sales concluded with two online sales: Picasso Ceramics and Breaking Ground: The Private Collection of Marian Goodman Part I, which both exceeded expectation to achieve a combined total of $3,909,568, selling 100% by lot.
Reports below:
• Masterpieces: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse
• 20th Century Evening Sale
• Defined Space: The Collection of Henry S. McNeil, Jr.
• Marian’s Richters & 21st Century Evening Sale
• Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale
• Impressionist and Modern Works on Paper Sale
• Impressionist and Modern Art Day Sale
• Picasso Ceramics
• Breaking Ground: The Private Collection of Marian Goodman Part I
Masterpieces: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse
The competitive bidding for Masterpieces: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse — led by auctioneer Adrien Meyer, Global Head of Private Sales and Co-Chairman of Impressionist and Modern Art — drove the total to $630,825,000, selling 100% by lot, and 100% by value. Together with three prior sales from Mr. Newhouse’s collection sold at Christie’s in 2018, 2019 and 2023, the Newhouse Collection has reached a cumulative total of $1.05 billion, becoming the second highest in history after the collection of Paul Allen in 2022 — the only other collection to exceed $1 billion, also at Christie’s. The co-owner of the Condé Nast media empire, Mr. Newhouse was one of the most influential collectors of his generation. Monday evening’s lots represented an especially personal chapter of his collection, bringing together 16 masterpieces by artists including Pollock, Brancusi and Picasso, as well as Jasper Johns, Piet Mondrian and others.
