Christie's will offer The Collection of Thomas and Doris Ammann

New Delhi: Christie's is excited to present The Collection of Thomas and Doris Ammann in New York City this May.

Works from the collection will be sold live at Rockefeller Plaza during Spring Marquee Week, starting with a single-owner evening sale on Monday, May 9.

The evening sale features a curated selection of 36 masterworks by leading 20th century artists such as Robert Ryman, Francesco Clemente, Sturtevant, and Cy Twombly, and is led by Andy Warhol's 'Shot Sage Blue Marilyn' - a painting poised to be the most expensive 20th century work to sell at auction.

During the Spring Marquee Week, in addition to the Post-War and Contemporary Day Sale, an additional group of works from the phenomenal private collection will be sold in a dedicated Day sale. This sale will feature a wide range of 20th century examples at various price points, demonstrating the breadth and depth of the Ammanns' collecting vision. Among the highlights are works by Brice Marden, Martin Kippenberger, and Mike Bidlo, among others.

This selection of just over 100 works across both sales exemplifies the Ammanns' superior aesthetic, conveying a myriad of deeply personal stories throughout 20th century art.

To maintain clear lines between what they did as dealers and what they did as collectors, as Thomas explained, "you can't collect what you want to sell - because then either you sell all the good things, which is no fun; or you keep all the good things, which bankrupts you."

Thomas and Doris Ammann were devoted friends of the artists they collected, championing them for the entirety of their careers. When asked by Vanity Fair about his friendship with Thomas Ammann, Francesco Clemente refused to speak on it, calling the relationship "too personal, too sacred" for him to discuss publicly. Thomas devoted every free minute of his time to visiting galleries and artists' studios.

As he put it in 1988, "What interests me about collecting is seeing what's happening today. I buy young people, and I buy them very early. I don't buy what I hear about, I buy what I see myself."

The available artworks range from early 1960s Pop to Minimalism to the best of the 1980s. Collectively, they demonstrate the impactful nature of the gallerist-artist relationship and the significant role it has played in the global art market's historical narrative. The Ammanns were undeniably art world leaders and market makers for a generation of talented artists, many of whom went on to become household names.

Among the works on display are works from the walls of the Ammann landmark home, a Bauhaus masterpiece with breathtaking views of Lake Zurich, as well as works from their other residences. It is a curated capsule collection as well as a cross-generational survey of defining twentieth-century artistic practises.

Georg Frei, Chairman of the Board, Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation, remarks: "Working with people as wonderful as Doris and Thomas over so many years has been an incredible gift. Transforming their astonishing legacy into charitable work fills me with courage, and gives me hope that together we can create a better world for many, many suffering and unprivileged children."

Spring Marquee Week Sale Schedule:

. Monday, 9 May, 7PM - The Collection of Thomas and Doris Ammann

. Tuesday, 10 May, 7PM - 21st Century Evening Sale

. Thursday, 12 May, 7PM - The Collection of Anne H. Bass

. Thursday, 12 May, 8PM - 20th Century Evening Sale