Behind Christie's New York "night of record-breaking prices" lies the lifelong collecting life of a legendary publishing tycoon.

One auction, two storms

On the morning of May 19, 2026, Beijing time, Christie's New York held two consecutive evening auctions.S.I. Newhouse Collection Special Saleand20th Century Art Evening SaleTotal wins$1.121 billion (approximately RMB 7.623 billion), a staggering 129% increase compared to the same period last year.

in,All 16 lots in the S.I. Newhouse Collection sale were sold.It achieved a "white glove" success, with a total transaction volume of US$630 million (approximately RMB 4.289 billion).The two auctions resulted in two items selling for over $100 million and set four new auction records for artists.

Where did these paintings come from? Who exactly is the person who elevated Pollock, Brancusi, and Miró to the status of being worth hundreds of millions?

S.I. Newhouse: A Hidden Aesthetic Landscape

Samuel Irving Newhouse Jr.He is the joint owner of Condé Nast Media, a legendary publishing magnate. He co-owns the company with his brother, Donald Newhouse.Condé Nast Media Group—It owns some of the most influential cultural publications in the United States, including Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ, and Vanity Fair.

Collecting Philosophy: Only buy the best, only buy masterpieces.

Newhouse's collecting logic—Buy only iconic works from the artist's peak period, regardless of price..

Among his collection,Many of the treasures are over 25 years old..

Of the 16 works released this time, many were purchased by Newhouse in the 1990s and early 2000s and have been held by him ever since.

Two items sold for over 100 million: The historic dialogue between Pollock and Brancusi

Jackson Pollock, 7A, 1948 —$181.185 million sets a new record for the highest price ever paid for an artist worldwide.

This "drip painting," over 11 feet wide, is still part of Pollock's famous series.The largest work in a private collectionIn 1948, Pollock intertwined pure black, red, and purple paint on the original canvas. Art historians believe that it was this series of works that truly allowed Pollock to achieve a "rebirth of painting," opening the door to pure abstract expression for the postwar world.

The auction started at $80 million, with at least three telephone bids (from New York and London). When the price reached $100 million, auctioneer Adrien Meyer lowered the bidding increments to $1 million. The hammer finally fell at $157 million.Christie’s Global President Alex Rotter won the bid via telephone.

Trajectory of inheritance:

• It was once owned by photographer Herbert Matt and the renowned collectors John Bowles and his wife.
• It has been treasured in the Newhouse private collection for the past 25 years.

Pollock's previous record for public auction was $61 million at Sotheby's in 2021 (Lot 17.1951).This $181.185 million figure nearly tripled its previous record.

Constantine Brancusi's "Daughters of Danaus" – $107.585 million, breaking the artist's record for the highest price ever paid at auction, becoming the second most expensive sculpture in the world.

This bronze sculpture, conceived and cast around 1913, is only 27.1 centimeters tall, yet it encapsulates a core turning point in the history of modern sculpture.

Brancusi met him in Paris in 1910.Hungarian female artist Margit PoganyDrawn by her almond-shaped eyes and dark hair, he refined her features into a unique sculptural vocabulary. Thus, the "Daughter of Danaos" and "Mademoiselle Boganie" series were born.

Why is it so precious?

There are six versions of this subject; this one is...The only gilded version still in private collectionThe other four pieces are housed in: the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Tate Modern in London, and the Winterthur Museum of Art—that is to say,Private collectors will never have the chance to own a gilded version of "Daughters of Danaos".

Newhouse's holding history:

• In 2002, Newhouse acquired this work at Christie's New York for $18,159,500.At the time, it had set a world auction record for any type of sculpture.
• After 24 years, the price has jumped from $18.1595 million to $107.585 million.24 years, 6 times.

Another legendary tale: Agnes Gunder's "buying paintings directly from artists"

"Besides the S.I. Newhouse collection, another major piece in this auction comes from the legendary collector Agnes Gund. Gund passed away in September 2025 at the age of 87. She was a former director of the New York Modern Collection."Honorary Chairman of the Museum of Fine Arts (MoMA), and one of the most important art patrons in the United States..

This time, she released Mark Rothko's "Number 15 (Double Green and Red Stripes)".It sold for $98.385 million, setting a new auction record for Rothko's work..

Collection Story: In 1967, at the suggestion of Emily Tremaine,Gonde acquired the painting directly from Mark Rothko. For nearly 60 years afterward, it was publicly exhibited only once.

Created in 1964, this work, nearly 8 feet (236.2 cm) tall, depicts warm emeralds dissolving into cool jade greens, separated by a bright red horizontal stripe, against a background of ethereal royal purple and ultramarine blue. Critic Robert Rosenbloom hailed it as a superb example of Rothko's "sublime abstraction."

It is one of the very few pure color field paintings that was purchased directly from the artist and is still preserved by the original collector..

Also released by Gonde were Cy Twombly's Untitled ($45.485 million) and Joseph Cornell's Untitled (The Medici Princess) ($6.907 million).

Miró's "Portrait of Madame K"

Joan Miró's "Portrait of Madame K" sold for $53,535,000, setting a new record for the artist's highest auction price. This 1924 work, painted in Paris, was estimated at $25-35 million, and the final price significantly exceeded the high estimate.

Market Signal: Top-Tier Aesthetics Never Lie

This $1.1 billion nightclub sends at least three clear signals:

First, scarcity triumphed over all cyclical predictions.In an environment of uncertain economic prospects and a more rational art market, truly top-tier works by artists at their peak can still fetch record-breaking or even unexpected prices.

Secondly, the tradition has never stopped; it has only changed its form.As a generation of top collectors, including S.I. Newhouse and Agnes Gunder, release their treasured collections, a new group of international collectors and institutions are taking over with their strong financial resources. The diversification of buyer origins—New York, London, Hong Kong, and Shanghai—suggests a reshaping of the global landscape for top-tier art collecting.

Third, long-term holding remains the strongest logic for value appreciation.Brancusi's stock rose from $18.1595 million to $107.585 million (24 years, about 6 times); Pollock held it for 25 years and finally sold it for nearly three times the previous record price.

S.I. Newhouse passed away in 2017 at the age of 89. He devoted his life to meticulous collecting, placing great emphasis on quality; his collection comprises representative works from the artists' peak periods. Some pieces have been in his possession for over 25 years, and their acquisition and subsequent release demonstrate the enduring value of top-tier artworks across time.

A Review of Two Important Auction Items

Christie's "Twentieth Century Evening Sale" was held in New York as scheduled at 7:00 AM on May 19, 2026.This auction featured 48 lots, achieving a total sales value of US$490 million and a 96% sell-through rate. 58% of the lots sold above their estimates, and 35% sold within their estimates. A total of 10 lots sold for over US$10 million and 35 lots sold for over US$1 million.Mark Rothko's "No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe)" sold for $98.385 million, becoming the top-selling item of the auction.

New record:
Several artists, including Mark Rothko and Alice Neal, broke their personal records.
Pierre-Auguste-Renoir, Childe-Hassan, Joseph-Connell, Alexander-Rochenko, and many other artists set new records for the second-highest prices ever paid for an artist;
 

Top-selling item in this session:

Mark Rothko's "No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe)" sold for $85 million at hammer price, or $98.385 million including commission.

Top 2 in sales this session:

Roy Lichtenstein's "Anxious Girl" sold for $39.5 million, or $46.06 million including commission.

Top 3 transactions in this session:

Cy Tombaugh's "Untitled" sold for $39 million, or $45.485 million including commission.

Several artists broke auction records

Other items sold at auction:

Besides the top three most expensive lots, the sale also includes masterpieces by numerous artists, including Pierre-Auguste-Renoir, Andy Warhol, Claude Monet, Georgia O'Keeffe, Willem de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, and Childe-Hassan.

Stay tuned to ArtPro for the latest updates on the global art market.

For more details on the auction items, please click to view the special session.

At 6:30 a.m. on May 19, 2026, Christie's "Masterpieces: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse" was auctioned in New York as scheduled.The auction featured 16 lots, achieving a total sales value of US$631 million and a 100% sell-through rate. 25% of the lots sold above their estimates, while 56% sold within their estimates. A total of 11 lots sold for over US$10 million and 5 lots sold for over US$1 million.Jackson-Pollock's "Number 7A, 1948" sold for $181 million, becoming the top-selling item of the auction.

New record:
Jackson Pollock, Constantin Brancusi, Juan Miró, and many other artists broke their personal records;
 

Top-selling item in this session:

Jackson-Pollock's "Number 7A, 1948" sold for $157 million at hammer price, or $181 million including commission.

Top 2 in sales this session:

Constantine Brancusi's "Danaïde" sold for $93 million at hammer price, totaling $108 million including commission.

Top 3 transactions in this session:

Juan Miró's "Portrait De Madame K." sold for $46 million, or $53.535 million including commission.

Other items sold at auction:

In addition to the top three most expensive lots, the auction also includes masterpieces by numerous artists, including Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian, Henri Matisse, Jasper Jones, and Andy Warhol.

Stay tuned to ArtPro for the latest updates on the global art market.

For more details on the auction items, please click to view the special session.

Stay tuned to ArtPro for the latest updates on the global art market.