It Didn’t Hit $1 Billion, but Rockefeller Sale Still Set High
No, the Rockefeller trove didn’t bring $1 billion this week, despite industry speculation that it might reach that historic high. The total fell considerably shy at nearly $833 million.
But the treasures of David and Peggy Rockefeller still set a high for the most valuable private collection sold at auction, surpassing the $443 million total (revised in 2013) for the Yves Saint Laurent collection in 2009. And the vigorous buying this week for everything from a Monet to a money clip nevertheless surprised many art experts.
Collectors and dealers generally agreed that the provenance of the prominent couple, together with Christie’s savvy marketing campaign (“Live Like a Rockefeller”), amounted to a magical alchemy of sorts that resulted in strong sales across the board...