Pauline Karpidas to Auction £60 Million Art Collection in London
In a significant event for the art world, prominent collector Pauline Karpidas is set to auction her extensive collection of Surrealist and postwar art, with expected sales reaching approximately £60 million (around $79.6 million). The auction will take place at Sotheby’s in London on September 17 and 18, 2023. Known for her private nature, Karpidas has amassed an impressive array of artworks that includes pieces from renowned artists such as Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, René Magritte, and Pablo Picasso.
Karpidas’s home, located near Hyde Park, is described as a vibrant space filled with color and eclectic design. Her collection features over 250 artworks and custom furniture, showcasing the depth of her passion for the arts. According to Oliver Barker, chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, this collection offers a unique opportunity for art enthusiasts to engage with masterpieces that rival those found in major museum collections. He stated, “I cannot think of a more comprehensive place… to study and to be encircled with so many core masterpieces from the surrealist movement and beyond.”
Among the highlights of the auction is a later painting by Magritte titled “La Statue volante,” which is estimated to sell for between £9 million and £12 million (approximately $12 million to $16 million). Other notable pieces include two Warhol works inspired by Edvard Munch, a pencil drawing by Dalí of his wife, Gala, and a painting by Hans Bellmer created shortly before his imprisonment during World War II.
The upcoming auction follows a previous successful sale in which Karpidas’s summer home contents in Hydra, Greece, achieved over €35.6 million (around $37.6 million). That collection featured works by artists including Georg Baselitz and Marlene Dumas. Karpidas has been a key figure in fostering connections within the art community, yet she has remained an enigmatic presence, rarely engaging with the media.
Karpidas’s journey into art collecting began with her late husband, Constantine Karpidas, also known as “Dinos,” who had a keen interest in 19th-century art. Her relationship with art dealer Alexander Iolas, a prominent figure in the Surrealist movement, helped her pivot towards collecting 20th-century art. Barker notes that Karpidas represents the legacy of affluent women who shaped social networks in the art world, likening her to notable patrons such as Peggy Guggenheim and Dominique de Menil.
In her London residence, the art collection has become an integral part of the space, with each piece telling its own story. Urs Fischer, a Swiss artist, describes Karpidas as a “real diva” with a “larger-than-life” presence, recalling her penchant for striking hats and elaborate storytelling. He remarked, “In some way, it’s probably a mirror of her interest and her psyche.”
Karpidas’s strategic acquisitions have positioned her well within the art market, including a pivotal purchase during the record-breaking sale of collector William Copley’s collection in 1979. Many pieces in her collection have illustrious provenance, having been owned by significant figures in the art world, including André Breton and Paul Éluard.
As Karpidas prepares to part with her collection, it presents a unique chapter in the art market. The auction not only serves as a reflection of her personal journey but also highlights the continuing evolution of art patronage and collection in contemporary society. This sale is poised to impact the art landscape significantly, as these works transition into new private collections.
The collection will be on view in London prior to the auction, offering a rare glimpse at artworks that have remained out of public view for decades. As Karpidas steps back from the spotlight, her legacy as a passionate collector and influential patron will undoubtedly endure through the pieces she has curated over the years.
