A collection of masterpieces by some of the most renowned names in modern art, including Gustav Klimt, Lucian Freud, Henri Matisse, and Francis Bacon, is set to be auctioned by Sotheby's in June. The works, consigned by Joe Lewis and his daughter Vivienne—whose family owns Tottenham Hotspur—are expected to fetch a total of more than £150 million, making it one of the most valuable private collections ever offered in London.
Highlights of the Collection
Among the standout pieces is Klimt's captivating 1902 portrait Bildnis Gertrud Loew, depicting a member of fin-de-siècle Viennese society. Last auctioned by Sotheby's over a decade ago, the painting was stolen by the Nazis upon their arrival in Vienna. Another highlight is Modigliani's Homme à la pipe (Le notaire de Nice), unseen in public for nearly half a century, with an estimated value of £12-18 million.
Also featured is a rare double self-portrait by Francis Bacon from 1977, estimated at £8-12 million, and Egon Schiele's audacious early masterpiece Danaë, completed when he was just 19 years old. The latter is expected to break the previous record for a Schiele work, with an estimate of £12-18 million.
Significance of the Sale
Oliver Barker, chairman of Sotheby's Europe, described the collection as the most valuable private collection ever offered in London, calling it a full-circle moment. Lewis began his collecting journey in the capital, sparked by a passion for post-war School of London artists such as Bacon, Freud, and Leon Kossoff.
Barker noted, "That early spark developed into a broader passion for figuration, and from that into one of the world's most important private collections of Modern art, with works that have been shown and celebrated in museums across the globe."
The June auction follows the September sale of the Pauline Karpidas collection, which achieved a total of £101 million—the highest-value single-owner sale in London. A spokesperson for the Lewis Collection said the family has always been drawn to art that reflects what it means to be human. They welcomed the strong response to the March sale of four School of London works from the collection, which fetched £35.8 million, as a sign of the enduring power of figurative painting.
