The collection of British socialite, collector, and arts patron Pauline Karpidas will hit the auction block at Sotheby’s London on September 17 and 18.
Described by the house as the “greatest collection of Surrealism to emerge in recent history,” it includes masterpieces by René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Leonora Carrington, and Max Ernst. The sale is expected to fetch £60 million ($81 million), the highest estimate ever placed on a single collection at Sotheby’s in Europe.
The collection, which also comprises unique pieces of furniture, adorned Karpidas’ London home. She was inspired to start collecting 50 years ago after an encounter with the late Greek American gallerist Alexander Iolas, who advanced the careers of Magritte, Andy Warhol, and many other prominent artists.
“Ever since my journey into the arts began, I have had the great honour of meeting a world of wonderful individuals who have made this collection possible—from Alexander Iolas, who opened my eyes and was my mentor, and many of the incredible artists themselves,” Karpidas said in a statement. “I have always seen myself as a temporary custodian for their creations, and it feels like the right moment for the pieces that make up my London home to find their next generation of custodians. This is by no means an ending, as I will continue to live among art, read books, collect new works and support artists, as I have done for so many years now.”
Oliver Barker, Sotheby’s Europe chairman, told ARTnews that Karpidas “fits seamlessly into the legacy of ‘grande dame’ collectors and patrons who have come before her—and she will no doubt inspire many for years to come.”
Barker said being involved in the sale has been one of his “career highlights.”
“There is simply no other collection like that of Pauline Karpidas,” he added. “From the extraordinary calibre of the artworks to the endless stories of deep friendships and collaborations, this is a window into a special world of boldness, conviction and insatiable curiosity.”
Works by Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Niki de Saint Phalle, Tves Tanguy, and Dorethea Tanning will also be sold.
Karpidas, who is known for building close friendships with many of the artists she collected, was born in a modest house in Manchester before she moved to Athens in the 1960s, where she met her future husband, the Greek shipping magnate Constantinos Karpidas.
In October 2023, Sotheby’s Paris sold works from the couples’ home on the Greek island of Hydra. The two-day auction realized more than €35 million ($40 million), marking the highest single-owner sale in France that year.
Last year celebrated the centennial of the birth of Surrealism (the publication of the Surrealist Manifesto was in October 1924). Major shows were put on at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, among other museums, while auction prices for Surrealist artists have soared recently. In 2024, Christie’s sold Magritte’s L’empire des lumières (The Empire of Light) (1954) for $121.2 million in New York, a record for the painter at auction.
The works and furniture for the sale at the end of September will go on public view at Sotheby’s New Bond Street showroom on September 8.
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