Art masterpieces by Klimt, Matisse, Freud head to record London auction

A major collection of modern art masterpieces owned by billionaire Joe Lewis and his daughter Vivienne will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in London in June, with the sale expected to surpass £150 million ($204 million) and potentially set a record for the city.

The collection includes works by Egon Schiele, Amedeo Modigliani, Francis Bacon, Chaim Soutine and Gustave Caillebotte, alongside Gustav Klimt, Henri Matisse and Lucian Freud. Sotheby’s said many of the works have not appeared on the market for decades.

The June auctions, along with related sales scheduled in the same period, could mark the highest-value auction week ever held in London.

Sotheby’s Europe chairman Oliver Barker told The Guardian the collection represents a rare concentration of museum-quality works, particularly in modern figurative painting.

“Many haven’t been seen on the market for decades – if at all – which speaks to both their rarity and art-historical significance,” he said.

Barker described the sale as “one for the history books,” noting it follows the September sale of the Pauline Karpidas collection, which reached £101 million ($137 million) and set a London record for a single-owner auction.

He added that sale helped restore confidence in the international art market.

“The sale was tangible evidence that collectors around the world are deeply inspired by collections built from a singular vision, steeped in coherence, rarity, and history,” he said.

Highlights from the Lewis collection will be displayed in New York and London ahead of the auction.

Among the leading works is Klimt’s 1902 full-length portrait Bildnis Gertrud Loew (Gertha Felsovanyi), estimated at £20–30 million ($27-40 million). The painting, once owned by a patron of the artist, was looted by the Nazis in Vienna and has more recently been exhibited at the Neue Galerie.

Barker said presenting the collection in London represents a “full-circle moment,” adding that the works will be showcased with exceptional attention reflecting their cultural importance.