Macklowe Divorce Art Trove: See The Highlights From The Collection’s Second Auction

Topline

The second half of the legendary collection compiled by New York real estate tycoon Harry Macklowe and his ex-wife, Linda, before their high-profile divorce heads to auction in May, includes million-dollar pieces by some of the biggest names in modern and contemporary art—here are some of the highlights.

Harry and Linda Macklowe attend the Guggenheim International Gala Dinner made possible by Dior on November 6, 2014, in New York City. Getty Images for Dior

Key Facts

The last 30 pieces of the Macklowes’ modern and contemporary collection going to sale include landmark pieces by Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti, Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Jean Dubuffet and Willem de Kooning.

Rothko’s “Untitled” painting from 1960—which has never before been displayed in public—is the most expensive piece of the auction unveiled by Sotheby’s Friday, and could fetch as much as $50 million at sale.

Also up for auction is one of Warhol’s final works, a self-portrait that was completed just months before the artist’s death in 1987 and is estimated to bring in up to $20 million.

The second half of the auction is expected to bring in around $200 million, according to the auction house estimates.

The first 35 pieces auctioned off in May brought in a record $676 million, marking the most valuable Sotheby’s auction in its 277-year history.

What To Watch For

If the Macklowe collection becomes the most expensive art collection ever sold at auction. Sotheby’s estimates indicate it could break the $832 million record set by the late banker David Rockefeller and his wife, Peggy, whose hoard was auctioned off in 2018.

Key Background

The Macklowes were married for 59 years and amassed a legendary art collection before splitting in a messy divorce in 2018. While Harry Macklowe is often reported to be a billionaire from his Manhattan real estate dealings, Forbes estimated in 2019 he and Linda had a collective net worth of between $900 million and $1.1 billion, which a judge ordered them to split down the middle. Their divorce left each with between $450 million and $550 million, Forbes estimated.

“Untitled,” a 1960 painting by Mark Rothko, has never been publicly displayed. Sotheby's

This Alberto Giacometti sculpture is estimated to sell for at least $7 million at auction. Sotheby's

Andy Warhol’s “Self-Portrait” was one of the final pieces the artist finished just months before his death. Sotheby’s

“Untitled” by Willem de Kooning is estimated to bring in as much as $10 million. Sotheby's

“The Copyist” is one of two paintings by Sigmar Polke that are part of the Macklowe collection’s second auction unveiled by Sotheby’s. Sotheby's

Further Reading

Real Estate Tycoon Harry Macklowe And His Ex-Wife’s Art Collection Nets $676 Million In First Of Two Auctions (Photos) (Forbes)

Real Estate Mogul Harry Macklowe And His Ex-Wife’s Art Trove Could Net Over $600 Million At Auction (Forbes)