Irene Roosevelt Aitken Collection Auction at Christie’s February

Christie’s New York will present one of the most significant private collection sales in recent memory this February, offering the complete contents of a Fifth Avenue residence that has remained unchanged for nearly a century. The Irene Roosevelt Aitken collection, spanning five auctions from 4-19 February 2026, comprises an extraordinary assemblage of 18th-century masterworks that will benefit three of New York’s most prestigious cultural institutions.

A Century-Long Legacy on Fifth Avenue

The collection comes from a duplex apartment in a distinguished Rosario Candela-designed building at 990 Fifth Avenue, where the same family has lived since its construction in 1927. This extraordinary residence, recently listed for $20 million, is one of only six grand apartments in the building. Views stretch across Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The apartment tells the story of American collecting at its finest. This architecturally important 13-room pre-war duplex, once the childhood home of Sunny von Bülow, has 11-foot ceilings, four bedrooms, and five fireplaces. It retains its original floor plan and period details. A rare window into the golden age of New York residential architecture.

The Visionary Collectors

Annie Laurie built this exceptional collection’s foundation in the 1950s and 1960s. An artist and philanthropist whose legacy lives on through the British Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum, named in her honor. Together with her husband Russell Barnett Aitken, whom The New York Times described as “an artist, expert marksman, big-game hunter and adventure writer whose substantial philanthropy reflected his passions for art and sport,” they assembled a collection that defined sophisticated American taste.

Following her marriage to Russell in the 1980s, Irene Roosevelt Aitken expanded the collection with sensitivity. She continued acquiring pieces of exceptional quality right until her passing this year. Her discerning eye and commitment to scholarship meant every addition maintained the collection’s extraordinarily high standards.

Masterworks of British and French Portraiture

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The collection’s strength lies in its remarkable assembly of British and French society portraits. Each tells stories of aristocratic life and artistic excellence. Among the standout pieces is Sir Thomas Lawrence’s exquisite oil on canvas portrait of Lady Berkeley, Emily Charlotte Berkeley, née Lennox (1763-1832), captured in a half-length composition that shows Lawrence’s mastery of British portraiture (estimate: $600,000-800,000).

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Maurice-Quentin de la Tour’s pastel portraits of le Maréchal & Duc de Belle-Isle and la Maréchale de Belle-Isle are equally compelling. Each executed on blue paper and mounted on canvas. These half-length portraits demonstrate de la Tour’s exceptional skill with pastels and offer intimate glimpses into 18th-century French aristocracy (estimate: $400,000-600,000).

The most spectacular painting lot comprises Nicolas Lancret’s Four Seasons, an extraordinary set of four decorative panels reputed to have been commissioned by the Duc de Melun for his hôtel on the Place Royale, Paris. These magnificent works graced the drawing room, transporting visitors to the elegant interiors that the portrait subjects throughout the apartment would have inhabited (estimate: $800,000-1,200,000).

Exceptional Objets d’Art and Decorative Masterpieces

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Beyond the paintings, the collection features an extraordinary array of decorative arts reflecting the refined taste of 18th-century connoisseurs. A particular highlight is the world-class collection of gilt-bronze and blue john objets by Matthew Boulton, the innovative 18th-century English silversmith. The star of this group is a rare pair of George III ormolu-mounted blue John and aventurine blue glass ‘Sphinx’ perfume vases, dating to circa 1770 (estimate: $120,000-180,000).

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The collection’s silver is equally impressive. The Brownlow Tureens, a pair of George III silver soup tureens, covers, liners and stands bearing the mark of Richard Cooke, London, 1810. These magnificent pieces, weighing 1,109 oz. 8 dwt., originated from the celebrated collection of silver formed by the Earls Brownlow at Belton House and were previously sold at Christie’s in 1929, later finding their way into the equally legendary collection of William Randolph Hearst (estimate: $250,000-350,000).

Fabergé and Continental Treasures

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The collection includes a select but exceptional group of works by Fabergé. The highlight is a large and rare jewelled and gold-mounted bloodstone snuff box shaped as a hippopotamus head. Created by workmaster Michael Perchin in St. Petersburg circa 1890, this whimsical yet luxurious piece shows Fabergé’s mastery of both precious materials and playful design (estimate: $100,000-150,000). Similar exceptional Fabergé works have recently commanded significant attention at auction houses worldwide.

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Among the porcelain treasures are whimsical Meissen pieces, including a pair of porcelain models of golden orioles from circa 1750, bearing the blue crossed swords mark and modelled by the celebrated J.J. Kändler and J.G. Ehder. Similar examples were delivered to Augustus the Strong, underscoring the historical significance of these charming avian sculptures (estimate: $20,000-30,000).

Historic Carpets and Period Firearms

One of the sale’s most spectacular lots is a rare and important Louis XIII Savonnerie carpet, probably from Chaillot, dating to circa 1640-1650. This exceptional textile measures approximately 19 feet 4 inches by 11 feet 10 inches and features the unusual inclusion of a coat-of-arms depicting a castle, possibly indicating commission by the prominent Castellane or Castille families (estimate: $600,000-1,000,000).

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Russell Aitken’s passion for collecting extended to antique European arms, much of which he generously donated to the Metropolitan Museum. The sale includes remarkable examples such as a silver and silver-gilt mounted flintlock pistol by Nicholas Boutet of Versailles from the early 18th century, the pinnacle of decorative weaponry craftsmanship (estimate: $100,000-200,000).

Provenance of Distinction

The collection’s provenance reads like a who’s who of American society collecting. Pieces originating from legendary figures like Thelma Chrysler Foy, Winston Guest, Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, and Elleanor Elkins Widener Rice. This illustrious history adds significant cultural and historical value to the already exceptional artistic merit of the works.

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Many pieces trace their histories through important sales and collections. A Louis XV ormolu-mounted 18th-century Chinese celadon porcelain vase was previously sold at Christie’s in 1965 from the celebrated collection of porcelain at Harewood House, Yorkshire (estimate: $200,000-300,000).

The Five-Auction Structure

Christie’s has organized the sales to reflect how the collection was displayed throughout the Fifth Avenue apartment. This creates an intimate connection between the objects and their historic setting. The three live auctions comprise:

Irene Roosevelt Aitken: The Dining Room and British Paintings (11 February) will feature the formal entertaining pieces and British school works that defined the apartment’s sophisticated atmosphere.

Irene Roosevelt Aitken: The Drawing Room and French Paintings (12 February) presents the continental masterpieces and French decorative arts that transported visitors to 18th-century Parisian salons.

Irene Roosevelt Aitken: The Library, Bedrooms and Objects of Vertu (13 February) offers the more intimate pieces, including precious objects and personal treasures.

Two online auctions, A Love of the 18th Century (4-18 February) and A Life on 5th Avenue (4-19 February), will offer collectors opportunities to acquire pieces across a range of estimates, making aspects of this historic collection accessible to a broader audience of connoisseurs.

A Legacy of Cultural Philanthropy

In keeping with Irene Aitken’s lifelong commitment to cultural institutions, the proceeds from the collection’s sale will benefit three New York institutions closest to her heart: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Frick Collection, and the Morgan Library & Museum. This generous bequest means her legacy of supporting the arts will continue to benefit future generations.

The decision reflects the collecting philosophy that guided the Aitken family throughout their stewardship of this remarkable assemblage. The collection “reflects a bygone age of American collecting,” an era when private collectors served as cultural stewards, preserving and celebrating the finest examples of artistic achievement.

Distinguished Furniture and Decorative Arts

The collection includes an impressive array of period furniture by the most distinguished makers of the 18th century. English pieces include works by Chippendale, Cobb, Ince and Mayhew, while French examples feature creations by Leleu and BVRB. These pieces provided the perfect setting for the paintings, porcelains, and objets d’art that filled every room of the duplex.

The furniture selection shows the same discerning eye that characterized every aspect of the collection. Each piece was chosen not merely for its individual merit but for how it contributed to the overall harmony and authenticity of the 18th-century atmosphere that the Aitkens so masterfully created.

Market Significance and Collector Appeal

This collection sale marks the end of an era in American private collecting. The Aitken apartment served as a living museum, where objects were not merely displayed but lived with and appreciated daily. This approach to collecting, where connoisseurship and domestic life seamlessly merged, has become increasingly rare in contemporary art collecting.

The range of estimates, from accessible decorative objects to museum-quality masterpieces, means collectors at various levels can participate in acquiring pieces from this historic collection. The online sales particularly democratize access to this extraordinary assemblage, allowing new collectors to own pieces with impeccable provenance and artistic merit. This mirrors recent trends where historic collections heading to Christie’s have drawn international collector interest.

The Architectural Setting

The significance of 990 Fifth Avenue extends beyond its role as the collection’s home. Designed by Rosario Candela, widely regarded as the foremost architect of luxury pre-war apartment houses, the building is the pinnacle of New York residential architecture. The building’s intimate scale, just six grand residences, provided the privacy and exclusivity that allowed the collection to flourish undisturbed for nearly a century.

The apartment’s location directly across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art created perfect synergy between private collecting and public cultural institutions. This proximity undoubtedly influenced the family’s deep commitment to supporting New York’s cultural landscape.

A Testament to Timeless Taste

As Christie’s prepares to disperse this extraordinary collection, it proves the enduring appeal of 18th-century European art and decorative objects. The Aitken collection shows how objects from this golden age of artistic achievement can create environments of unparalleled beauty and refinement.

The February 2026 sales will attract international attention from museums, private collectors, and institutions seeking to acquire pieces that embody the highest standards of artistic achievement and historical significance. With nearly 800 lots spanning multiple centuries and artistic traditions, the Irene Roosevelt Aitken collection is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to acquire museum-quality works from one of America’s last great private collections.

The dispersal of this collection marks not an ending but a new beginning. These remarkable objects will find new homes where they will continue to inspire and educate future generations of art lovers and connoisseurs, much like the exceptional masterpieces that regularly find their way to auction houses worldwide.