One Work: Agnes Gund's Mark Rothko Will Take Centerstage at Christie’s Next Week

Why It Matters

The sale underscores the enduring financial and cultural value of Rothko’s late oeuvre and highlights how collector stewardship can amplify a work’s market relevance.

Key Takeaways

• Agnes Gund acquired Rothko’s 1964 “15” directly from the artist.
• The painting became the centerpiece of Gund’s personal collection.
• Rothko created “15” during his final, legacy‑defining period.
• Christie’s will auction the work next week, drawing global attention.
• The piece’s layered colors aim to evoke a spiritual, immersive experience.

Summary

Christie’s announced that Mark Rothko’s 1964 masterpiece “15,” long held by collector Agnes Gund, will go under the hammer next week, marking one of the most anticipated post‑war art sales of the season.

Gund bought the canvas directly from Rothko in 1967 after a studio visit arranged by her friend Emily Tremaine. She later described the work as the “heartbeat” of her collection, keeping it on permanent display in her living room to experience its layered color fields daily.

Rothko painted “15” at a pivotal moment, confronting his mortality and solidifying his late‑style color‑field language. He told Gund it was the right piece for her, emphasizing its spiritual resonance despite its seemingly limited palette.

The auction will test market appetite for Rothko’s late works, while also spotlighting Gund’s philanthropic legacy—she has loaned or donated most of her holdings, yet chose to keep this one. A strong sale could reinforce the premium placed on iconic, provenance‑rich masterpieces in a competitive global market.

Original Description

Agnes Gund, one of the greatest and most influential art patrons in the United States, acquired Mark Rothko’s “No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe)” directly from the artist during a visit to his studio in 1967. The painting would go on to hang in her living room for decades. ⁠

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Following Gund’s death late last year, the painting will be offered on the secondary market for the first time, estimated in the region of $80 million, at @christiesinc ’s marquee May sales in New York. The auction also includes Cy Twombly’s 1961 “Untitled,” estimated at $40 million to $60 million; and Joseph Cornell’s 1948 “Untitled (Medici Princess)”, estimated at $3 million to $5 million.⁠

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Christie’s Sara Friedlander gives us a special look at the work, which became “the heartbeat and the center of [Gund’s] collecting journey.”⁠

Read more about the upcoming auction: https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/agnes-gund-collection-christies-rothko-twombly-cornell-1234773450/