Sotheby's to Auction Ted and Ruth Baum Collection, Estimated Over $100 Million
Sotheby's is set to auction the art collection belonging to Ted and Ruth Baum, with expectations of surpassing $100 million. This extensive collection features more than 130 pieces from renowned artists, including Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko, Ed Ruscha, Joan Mitchell, and Roy Lichtenstein. Among the highlights are a Rothko and a Ruscha, each valued between $10–15 million. The auction will present around two dozen lots on November 16, with further items available on November 17 and into the following year. The Baums, who were prominent philanthropists, owned residences in Palm Beach, Southampton, New York, and New Jersey. Ted passed away in 2021, followed by Ruth in 2023, and their collection began in the 1970s.
Key facts
- Sotheby's will auction the collection of Ted and Ruth Baum, estimated to exceed $100 million
- The collection comprises more than 130 works, including pieces by Rothko, Lichtenstein, Mitchell, Ruscha, Wesselmann, Burri, Fontana, Klein, and Manzoni
- A Rothko painting on paper and a Ruscha painting each carry estimates of $10–15 million
- A Burri, a Fontana, and a Warhol are each estimated at $4–6 million
- Two dozen works will be offered at a dedicated evening auction on November 16, with a day sale on November 17 and further sales next year
- Highlights will be displayed at Sotheby's showrooms in London, Hong Kong, Paris, Los Angeles, and New York
- Ted Baum died in 2021 and Ruth Baum died this year
- The Baums bought Rothko's untitled 1967 red-and-orange painting on paper in 1983 and Warhol's The Scream (After Edvard Munch) in 2006 at Sotheby's London for £1.5 million
- Christie's announced a 'distinguished collector,' reportedly Jeff Koons, would offer $100 million in art led by a $40 million Picasso
- Sotheby's will offer 12 works from Carlos Pedro Blaquier and Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier expected to total $450 million, led by a $180 million Van Gogh
Entities
Artists
- Ted Baum
- Ruth Baum
- Roy Lichtenstein
- Joan Mitchell
- Ed Ruscha
- Mark Rothko
- Tom Wesselmann
- Alberto Burri
- Lucio Fontana
- Yves Klein
- Piero Manzoni
- Andy Warhol
- David Hammons
- Wendy Cromwell
- Dale Chihuly
- Leo Villareal
- John Sloan
- Fernand Léger
- Pablo Picasso
- Sam Francis
- Hans Hofmann
- Oliver Barker
- Jeff Koons
- Vincent van Gogh
- Carlos Pedro Blaquier
- Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier
- Edvard Munch
- Theodore Baum
Institutions
- Sotheby's
- Norton Museum of Art
- Guggenheim Museum
- Parrish Art Museum
- Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society
- Armory Art Center
- Palm Beach Dramaworks
- Planned Parenthood of Florida and New Jersey
- Christie's
Locations
- New York
- United States
- New Jersey
- Southampton
- Palm Beach
- Florida
- West Palm Beach
- London
- United Kingdom
- Hong Kong
- China
- Paris
- France
- Los Angeles