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Sellers Behind $1.8B May Auctions Revealed: Mnuchin, Gund, Goodman Estates Lead

market-auction · 2026-05-18

In their May auctions, Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips are presenting art valued at $1.8 billion based on low estimates, marking a 50% rise from last year's $1.2 billion. Notable consignments include the estates of dealer Bob Mnuchin, philanthropist Agnes Gund, and dealer Marian Goodman. Christie’s evening auction on Monday will showcase S.I. Newhouse’s collection, projected to generate $450 million, potentially breaking records for Jackson Pollock and Constantin Brancusi. A painting by Mark Rothko from Mnuchin’s collection sold for $86 million at Sotheby’s on May 14. Many artworks are seeing price reductions, such as an Andy Warhol piece, previously sold for $37 million in 2018, now estimated at $25 million.

Key facts

  • Sotheby’s sold $433 million on May 14, including an 86-million-dollar Rothko from Bob Mnuchin’s collection.
  • Christie’s evening sale on Monday features S.I. Newhouse’s collection, estimated at $450 million.
  • An Andy Warhol that sold for $37 million in 2018 now estimated at $25 million at Christie’s.
  • A small Pollock from Mnuchin’s collection estimated at $7 million, half its 2024 price of $15.3 million.
  • The Dennison estate sold 23 works for $4 million, exceeding the estimate of $1.6–2.3 million.
  • John Sayegh-Belchatowski sold Basquiat’s Museum Security for $52.7 million at Sotheby’s.
  • Greg Renker sold de Kooning’s Untitled III for $26 million and is offering a Van Gogh estimated at $25–35 million.
  • Sheldon Solow’s estate is selling works by Lichtenstein, Calder, Modigliani, and Miró across Sotheby’s and Christie’s.

Entities

Artists

  • Mark Rothko
  • Jackson Pollock
  • Constantin Brancusi
  • Jean-Michel Basquiat
  • Willem de Kooning
  • Joan Mitchell
  • Andy Warhol
  • Claude Monet
  • David Salle
  • Richard Serra
  • Rudolf Stingel
  • Simone Leigh
  • Vincent van Gogh
  • Roy Lichtenstein
  • Alexander Calder
  • Amedeo Modigliani
  • Joan Miró
  • George Condo
  • Alex Katz
  • Laura Owens
  • Mary Heilmann
  • Jonas Wood
  • Joseph Yaeger
  • Édouard Manet

Institutions

  • Sotheby’s
  • Christie’s
  • Phillips
  • Artnet News
  • Artnet Price Database
  • Brant Foundation Art Study Center
  • Palm Springs Art Museum
  • Gavlak Gallery
  • Skarstedt Gallery
  • David Kordansky Gallery
  • Guthy-Renker
  • Solow Art and Architecture Foundation

Locations

  • New York
  • United States
  • West Palm Beach
  • Venice
  • Italy
  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • Barcelona
  • Spain
  • Los Angeles
  • France
  • Monaco

Sources