The late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s art collection, which is expected to fetch more than $1 billion at auction, will be offered by Christie’s.
According to Christie’s on Thursday, the sale in November of more than 150 works spanning 500 years will be “the greatest and most spectacular art auction in history.”
The paintings include La Montagne Sainte-Victoire by French painter Paul Cezanne, which the auction house estimated to be worth over $100 million.
In accordance with the wishes of Allen, an enthusiastic art collector, inventor, and philanthropist, Christie’s announced that all earnings will benefit charitable causes with the support of Allen’s estate executors.
The US couple Harry and Linda Macklowe broke the auction record for a private collection this spring by selling $922 million worth of items through Sotheby’s sales.
In addition to the Cezanne piece, The New York Times stated that American painter Jasper Johns’ Small False Start, which is valued at over $50m, is also part of the Allen collection.
Although Christie’s did not go into detail about the collection’s other holdings, a travelling show in 2016 provided a peek of the depth of the Allen art collection. It includes pieces by artists including Klimt, Manet, and Monet.