John Cheim collection to be auctioned by Sotheby's in New York

Sotheby's will auction the collection of gallerist and collector John Cheim in New York this November across two sessions. Cheim, co-founder of Cheim & Read gallery since 1997, worked closely with artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lynda Benglis, Louise Bourgeois, and Alice Neel. His collection, built over 45 years, includes top lots like Joan Mitchell's monumental painting Sunflowers (1990-1991), estimated around $20 million, which could surpass her current record of $16.6 million set by Blueberry at Christie's in 2018. Sunflowers has been exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Baltimore Museum of Art, and Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, including the Monet-Mitchell focus until February 2023. Other notable works include pieces by Lynda Benglis, Louise Bourgeois, and Alice Neel's portrait Jackie Curtis as a Boy (1972) of transgender actress and artist Jackie Curtis, estimated at $1.5 million, potentially entering Neel's top auction results (record $3 million). The sale follows Sotheby's securing the prestigious Landau collection, continuing a trend of major private collections coming to auction.