The Rockefeller art treasures collection being sold at Christie's in New York City in May is being called the "sale of the century" for art lovers.
"We're talking probably north of $500 million which will make it the most valuable collection sale of all time, and the most valuable charity sale of all time," Christie's auctioneer Jonathan Rendell told a news service.
Ten pieces from the collection once owned by billionaire banker David Rockefeller and his wife Peggy have been on display in Paris and include a Picasso and a Monet, works that would have created a buzz alone, Reuters noted.
Christie's said the stars of the collection are the Rose Period Picasso the Rockefellers purchased from Gertrude Stein's collection, estimated at $70 million, and Claude Monet's "Nymphéas en fleur," painted circa 1914-1917 and estimated at $35 million. A 1923 reclining nude by Matisse could go for $50 million.
The sale will also include a small painting of an apple which Picasso gave Stein as a Christmas gift in 1914 after she told him of her disappointment that her brother Leo had held onto a Cezanne still life of apples when they split up their own collection, per Reuters.
The previous record for such a sale was set by the Collection Yves Saint Laurent et Pierre Bergé in 2009 at Christie's Paris which went for an overall total of $400 million.
Christie's website said the collection "reflects the family's enduring passion for Impressionist, American and Asian art; English and European decorative art; and Chinese, Japanese, Korean and European porcelain.
"Today, through numerous philanthropic and civic endeavors, the Rockefellers continue to promote research, sustainability, and development throughout the Asian continent and around the world. All estate proceeds from the sales will benefit selected charities that Peggy and David supported in their lifetime."
Christie's said designated charities receiving funds from the sale include the American Farmland Trust, Americas Society/Council of the Americas, Council on Foreign Relations, The David Rockefeller Fund, Harvard University, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Rockefeller University, The Stone Barns Restoration Corporation – Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.
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