Rockefeller


‘Eventually all these objects which have brought so much pleasure to Peggy and me will go out into the world and will again be available to other caretakers who, hopefully, will derive the same satisfaction and joy from them as we have over these past several decades.’
— David Rockefeller 1992

Gathered over a lifetime and handed down from previous generations, The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller 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 is honoured to partner with VistaJet, sponsor of the Rockefeller exhibitions and events in Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles and New York and Christie's International Real Estate, a joint sponsor of the Rockefeller exhibition in New York.


Special features

Highlights

  • Pablo Picasso

    Fillette à la corbeille fleurie
    oil on canvas
    60.7/8 x 26 in. (154.8 x 66.1 cm.)
    Painted in 1905
    Estimate
    Estimate on Request

    Painted in 1905, this Picasso was bought the same year by the collector and writer Gertrude Stein and her brother Leo. It stayed in the Stein collection until 1968 when it was bought by Mr. and Mrs. David Rockefeller. It had pride of place in the library of their 65th Street home in New York.

  • Henri Matisse

    Odalisque couchée aux magnolias
    oil on canvas
    23.3/4 x 31.7/8 in. (60.5 x 81.1 cm.)
    Painted in Nice, 1923
    Estimate
    Estimate on Request

    An important Nice period painting the Odalisque couchée aux magnolias perfectly illustrates Matisse’s use of textiles, fruit and flowers as part of an overall composition. The model here is Henriette Darricarrère, a favourite of the artist.

  • Claude Monet

    Extérieur de la gare Saint-Lazare, effet de soleil
    oil on canvas
    24.1/8 x 31.3/4 in. (61.3 x 80.7 cm.)
    Painted in Paris, 1877
    Estimate
    Estimate on Request

    The Gare St. Lazare paintings record the rapid industrialization of Paris and reiterate the importance of the railway as part of that process. The artist has painted this canvas deep in the railway cutting, with workers looking towards a train shunting in a tunnel.

  • Juan Gris

    La table de musicien
    oil, gouache, colored wax crayons, charcoal and paper collage on canvas
    31.1/4 x 23.3/4 in. (82 x 60.5 cm.)
    Executed in May 1914
    Estimate
    Estimate on Request

    Demonstrating the cubist artist’s ability, La table conjures solid objects from gouache, wax crayon, charcoal and collage. Although Picasso and Braque also used these techniques Gris is regarded as the ‘master of form’.

  • Édouard Manet

    Lilas et roses
    oil on canvas
    12.3/4 x 9.3/4 in. (32.4 x 24.7 cm.)
    Painted in 1882
    Estimate
    $7,000,000-10,000,000

    These small still lifes date from the end of Manet’s career and are the culmination of his abilities as a painter. Lilas et roses was inherited by David Rockefeller from his mother, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller who hung it in her dressing room at 12 West 54th St. The house later became the site for the Museum of Modern Art.

  • The 'Marly Rouge' Service

    A Sèvres porcelain iron-red and sky-blue ground part dessert service made for Napoleon I, circa 1807-09
    Estimate
    $150,000-250,000

    Part of an extensive service made at Sèvres for the Emperor Napoleon 1er. Other parts of the service are on view at the Château at Fontainebleau outside Paris.

  • Two Chelsea Porcelain Plaice Tureens, Covers and Spoons

    Circa 1755
    Estimate
    $80,000-120,000

    These tureens reflect the interest in the natural world central to the scientific explorations of the 18th century. These would have been talking points when used as part of a table setting with their natural forms and their ladles formed as fish or eels holding shells.

  • John Singer Sargent

    San Geremia
    oil on canvas
    34 x 3 1/4 x 69
    Painted in 1913
    Estimate
    $3,000,000-5,000,000

    Painted on Sargent’s last trip to Venice where he stayed with his friends the Curtis’ at Palazzo Barbaro. This picture captures an elegiac view of Venice painted on the Grand Canal early in the morning. The liquid gold of the sun flies across the surface of the oily Venetian water.

  • Eugène Delacroix

    Tiger Playing with a Tortoise
    oil on canvas
    33 1/2 x 3 x 26 3/4
    Painted in 1862
    Estimate
    $5,000,000-7,000,000

    Delacroix studied the wild animals at the Paris zoo in the Jardin des Plantes on the south bank of the Seine. The powerful figure of the tiger is clearly drawn from life, exhibiting the muscular strength of this magnificent beast.

  • A George II Irish Gold Freedom Box

    Mark of William Currie, Dublin, 1754-1756
    3 in. (7.5 cm.) diameter, 4 oz.
    Estimate
    $30,000-50,000

    Characteristic of the Irish style of goldsmithing, the box which fits neatly in the surface of one’s hand reflects the honor of the Freedom of Dublin.


Sale information

The Collection of
Peggy and David Rockefeller

  • Auctions

    19th and 20th Century Art, Evening Sale *
    8 May, 7pm



    English and European Furniture, Ceramics and Decorations, Part I
    9 May, 10am



    Art of the Americas, Evening Sale *
    9 May, 7pm



    Fine Art, Day Sale
    10 May, 10am



    * Ticket required for sale entry.





  • English and European Furniture, Ceramics and Decorations, Part II
    10 May, approx. 12:30pm



    Travel and Americana
    10 May, approx. 7pm



    Online Only Auction
    1-11 May, bidding opens at 10am


New York exhibition

Viewing the Rockefeller Collection

To date, Christie’s has welcomed 75,000 visitors from around the world in celebration of The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller.

Reservations in New York are now fully subscribed. We continue to welcome clients with existing reservations or priority access passes.

Please enjoy our virtual tour of the exhibition.


Exhibition Times

Saturday 5 May, 11am – 4pm
Sunday 6 May, 1pm – 4pm
Monday 7 May, 11am – 4pm
Tuesday 8 May, 10am – 12pm* (Evening Sale Lots Only)

Viewing for Online Sale lots is by appointment only from 28 April - 7 May. Please contact rockefeller@christies.com or call (212) 636-2000 at least 24 hours in advance to arrange a viewing time. Please note that property from the Personal Mementos  category will be on view at our Rockefeller Center Galleries.


Publications

Gallery Guide: The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller

A Collector’s Edition ‘keepsake’ Gallery Guide is available for purchase, including thumbnail images and a brief description of every lot in the sale. This publication includes both live auction and online-only sale items in one volume. This publication is the ideal companion piece to Christie's Magazine: The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, available below.

Christie's Magazine: The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller

A special edition of Christie’s Magazine has been published to mark the sale of the Rockefeller Collection in New York this spring. It is devoted to the varied aspects of the Rockefellers’ achievement, which over four generations has altered the face of New York, left its mark on America, and changed the world in countless ways.

For more on the exclusive interviews, photographs from the Rockefeller family archive, highlights from the historic sale or to buy your copy of the publication today, click below.

Catalogues: The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller

Catalogues are now sold out.


Charitable beneficiaries

‘[David Rockefeller] considered each of these institutions to be “centers of excellence” — a principal focus for the first three Rockefeller generations — and essential sources of talent, stability and innovation.’

— Peter J. Johnson, Rockefeller Family Historian and Senior Associate

As a fitting tribute to the life and legacy of both Peggy and David Rockefeller, Christie’s is pleased to highlight several of the institutions the couple believed in most deeply. All Estate proceeds from the sales will benefit selected charities that Peggy and David supported in their lifetime.


Exhibition sponsors

About VistaJet

VistaJet is the first and only global aviation company. On its fleet of silver and red business jets, VistaJet has flown corporations, governments and private clients to 187 countries worldwide. Founded in 2004 by Thomas Flohr, the company pioneered an innovative business model where customers pay only for the hours they fly, free of the responsibilities and asset risks linked to aircraft ownership. VistaJet’s signature Program service offers customers a bespoke subscription of flight hours on its fleet of mid and long-range jets, to fly them anywhere and at any time.

VistaJet is delighted to offer Christie’s clients three innovative ways to experience the exhibitions of The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller in Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles and New York.

About Christie’s International Real Estate   

Christie’s International Real Estate offers incomparable service to a global clientele at the luxury end of the residential property market. Through our New York City brokerage and our network of affiliated brokerages worldwide, we deliver the tailored, trusted service that Christie’s clients have depended on for more than 250 years.

Christie’s International Real Estate pleased to support the exhibition of The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller in New York. Just as our luxury property collection represents the finest real estate the Americas, Europe, and Asia have to offer, the Rockefeller Collection represents some of the greatest art from across these regions gathered over a lifetime and handed down from previous generations.

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From Our Walls to Yours in Augmented Reality
For your enhanced viewing this season, we invite you to explore artworks from The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller in augmented reality. Simply download Christie’s mobile app on iOS 11 and an iPhone 6s or above, and browse the special lots marked with an augmented reality icon. From the palm of your hand, you can "live like a Rockefeller" and envision works by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Diego Rivera, Willem de Kooning, Edward Hopper and more in the context of your own home. The cutting-edge technology provides an immersive visual experience and a hyper-real view of every brushstroke and intimate detail of masterpieces offered in our sales.