The international art world converges on New York this May as Sotheby’s presents its most ambitious auction series of the year. Leading the extraordinary lineup is Mark Rothko’s monumental Brown and Blacks in Reds, carrying an estimate of $70-100 million and marking what promises to be one of the season’s most significant art market events.
The prestigious auction house has announced its complete May marquee sales programme, spanning over a century of defining moments in Modern and Contemporary art. The series will present exceptional works from legendary collections, including pieces held by celebrated dealer Robert Mnuchin for more than two decades, alongside masterworks by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent van Gogh.
Robert Mnuchin Collection Takes Centre Stage
The sales will commence with a dedicated auction featuring works from the distinguished collection of Robert Mnuchin, the legendary dealer, advisor, and collector whose discerning eye has shaped contemporary art appreciation for decades. Estimated to achieve in excess of $130 million, the collection represents works that Robert and his wife Adriana have cherished across several decades.
At the heart of this remarkable collection stands Rothko’s towering Brown and Blacks in Reds from 1957. This exceptional painting, acquired circa 1957 by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc., played a crucial role in influencing the development and conceptualisation of Rothko’s seminal Seagram Mural commission in subsequent years. The work represents one of only 15 monumental canvases exceeding 90 inches created in 1957, with the majority now residing in prestigious museum collections including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Australian National Gallery in Canberra.
The Mnuchin collection exemplifies the extreme level of connoisseurship for which Robert has become renowned, featuring artists including Mark Rothko, Franz Kline, and Jeff Koons. Each piece reflects his philosophy of acquiring works that resonated with him through their ambitious scope and exceptional achievement.
Contemporary Masterworks Lead Evening Sales
The Now & Contemporary Evening Auction, scheduled for 14 May, will be headlined by one of Jean-Michel Basquiat‘s most significant paintings, Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown) from 1983, estimated in excess of $45 million. This extraordinary work belongs to the most coveted period of Basquiat’s career, when his visual language achieved remarkable clarity, ambition, and scale.
The painting made its debut at the artist’s historic solo exhibition at Larry Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles, in 1983, forming part of a suite of 12 monumental canvases all created that pivotal year. The work has been the subject of extensive institutional interest, featured in nearly every major exhibition of the artist’s work, and graces the front cover of the acclaimed monograph Jean-Michel Basquiat, edited by Dieter Buchhart and Anna Karina Hofbauer.
Adding to the contemporary highlights is Willem de Kooning‘s 1975 Untitled III, making its auction debut with an estimate of $25-35 million. This work hails from the artist’s most coveted period of production, marking his monumental return to canvas after years dedicated to sculpture and drawing. By spring 1975, having permanently relocated to Springs, East Hampton, de Kooning had re-adopted painting with renewed force, immediately transitioning to larger canvases and experimenting with innovative paint mixtures.
Modern Masters and Prestigious Provenances
The Modern Evening Auction presents exceptional works from distinguished collections spanning the complete arc of modernism. Leading this impressive selection is Pablo Picasso’s Arlequin (Buste) from the Adele & Enrico Donati Collection, estimated in excess of $40 million. This striking portrait, created in Spring 1909 just two years after Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, represents a pivotal moment on the threshold of Cubism’s emergence.
The auction also features Vincent van Gogh‘s La Moisson en Provence, estimated at $25-35 million. Executed in June 1888 during the most important period of van Gogh’s career, this extraordinary watercolor represents the largest work on paper related to the masterpiece oil painting La Moisson, now in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Remarkably, it remains the only example from this body of work in private hands, fully worked in watercolor, gouache, pen and ink, and pencil.
Henri Matisse‘s La Chaise lorraine from the Barbier-Mueller Collection, estimated in excess of $25 million, exemplifies the artist’s celebrated Nice period. Dating to 1919, this luminous interior was likely executed in his studio at Issy-les-Moulineaux on the outskirts of Paris, coinciding with the end of World War I and the victory celebrations that translated into brighter palettes and heightened luminosity in his work.
Distinguished Private Collections
The sales present numerous prestigious private collections, each telling unique stories of passionate collecting and refined taste. The David and Shoshanna Wingate Collection features Alberto Giacometti‘s La Clairière (Composition avec neuf figures), estimated at $18-25 million. This work is widely regarded as one of the most significant multi-figural sculptures of the postwar period, marking the pivotal turn toward the elongated figure groups that define the artist’s legacy.
From the Collection of Jennifer Gilbert, sold to benefit Lumana Detroit, comes Joan Mitchell‘s Loom II from the mid-1970s, when Mitchell incorporated sweeping strokes of colours inspired by the surrounding French countryside, carrying an estimate of $5-7 million. Kenneth Noland‘s Circle, a rare and monumental example from the artist’s early Concentric Circles series, is estimated at $4-6 million.
Exceptional Warhol Portrait from Gunter Sachs Collection
Among the most intriguing lots is Andy Warhol‘s portrait of Brigitte Bardot, estimated at $14-18 million. In 1974, Warhol produced a seminal series of eight paintings of the international movie star for Gunter Sachs, her husband from 1966-69. Each of the 47-by-47-inch Bardot paintings features a unique chromatic palette: emerald, cerulean, golden yellow, magenta, and violet. Three paintings, including this example, are distinguished by the presence of a cadmium red lip. Held in the Gunter Sachs Collection for over fifty years and seldom seen publicly, this work makes its auction debut this May.
Surrealist and Modernist Treasures
The collection of pioneering attorney Sybil Shainwald brings together compelling European modernist and surrealist works. Notable among these is René Magritte‘s Femme-bouteille from 1955, estimated at $800,000-1.2 million, alongside Dorothea Tanning‘s Témoins du drame, estimated at $1-1.5 million. Shainwald, a dedicated collector guided by her love of European modernism and Surrealism, assembled a remarkable collection throughout her life, purchasing works she loved and living closely with them.
Contemporary Day Sale Records
This May’s Contemporary Day auction will be led by Roy Lichtenstein‘s Girl in Mirror, estimated at $5-7 million, marking the highest estimate for a work ever offered in a Contemporary Day auction at Sotheby’s. This milestone reflects the continued strength and evolution of the contemporary art market, with collectors increasingly seeking museum-quality works across all sale categories.
Global Representation and Emerging Voices
The sales demonstrate Sotheby’s commitment to presenting diverse voices in contemporary art, featuring works by cutting-edge artists shaping 21st-century expression. This includes pieces by Ding Shilun and Joseph Yaeger, whose works mark their debuts in New York evening auctions, alongside established masters like Helen Frankenthaler, Kenneth Noland, Morris Louis, and Alma Thomas.
Premium Presentation and Accessibility
All works will be presented in Sotheby’s preview exhibitions running from 2-18 May, with extended hours to accommodate international collectors and art enthusiasts. The exhibitions will be free and open to the public, maintaining Sotheby’s tradition of providing broad access to exceptional artworks before they transition to new collections.
The comprehensive sale programme includes multiple auction sessions across several days, beginning with the Robert Mnuchin collection on 14 May, followed by Contemporary and Modern evening sales, and concluding with day sales featuring more accessible price points while maintaining exceptional quality standards.
Market Implications and Cultural Significance
These May sales arrive at a pivotal moment in the global art market, with collectors demonstrating continued appetite for museum-quality works across all periods and price ranges. The inclusion of works making their auction debuts, combined with pieces from legendary collections, creates a unique opportunity for both established collectors and emerging participants.
The partnership with CELINE as presenting partner underscores the increasing intersection between luxury fashion and fine art, reflecting broader cultural trends in high-end collecting and lifestyle positioning.
Looking Forward
As the art world prepares for these landmark auctions, the May marquee sales represent more than mere commercial transactions. They offer insight into nearly a century of artistic achievement, from Post-Impressionist masters to Contemporary visionaries, each work carrying stories of creation, collection, and cultural significance.
The extraordinary estimates, ranging from accessible thousands to record-breaking millions, demonstrate the auction house’s commitment to serving collectors across all levels while maintaining the highest standards of quality and authenticity. With works spanning multiple continents, centuries, and artistic movements, Sotheby’s May sales promise to reinforce New York’s position as the global epicentre of the international art market.
The complete auction programme runs through 20 May, with preview exhibitions beginning 2 May at Sotheby’s global headquarters in the iconic Breuer building at 945 Madison Avenue in New York City.
*Images: Sotheby’s
