Christie's is set to host the most valuable American Western Art auction in history, featuring the prestigious William I. Koch Collection. The two-part sale, taking place at Christie's Rockefeller Center in New York, will see masterpieces by renowned artists Frederic Remington, Charles Marion Russell, and Albert Bierstadt go under the hammer, with a combined low estimate exceeding $50 million—more than double the previous record for any American Western Art auction.
The historic Evening Sale is scheduled for 20 January 2026, followed by the Day Sale at high noon on 21 January. Works will be on public view from 16 to 20 January. The collection represents a significant milestone in the art market, showcasing an unparalleled array of American Western masterworks assembled over decades by Koch, an industrialist, scientist, and America's Cup winner.
Frederic Remington's paintings and sculptures form the cornerstone of the sale, with 16 rare and important sculptures alongside some of his greatest paintings. The lead lot is Remington's sunset painting Coming to the Call, estimated at $6 million to $8 million, which critics during the artist's lifetime hailed as one of his four finest works. The sale also features both large and small versions of The Broncho Buster, Remington's most iconic sculptural work, with the smaller version currently on permanent display at the White House.
Additional notable Remingtons include the cinematic nocturne Argument with the Town Marshall, valued at $4 million to $6 million, his bronze Coming Through the Rye at the same estimate, and The Horse Thief, the only remaining cast in private hands from a limited edition of three, estimated at $3 million to $5 million.
Charles Marion Russell is represented by two magnificent canvases: The Sun Worshippers, estimated at $4 million to $6 million, and Dust, valued at $5 million to $7 million. The collection extends beyond these masters to include important American art spanning over a century, including Alfred Jacob Miller's iconic The Buffalo Hunt from circa 1850 and Albert Bierstadt's luminist landscape Mountain Lake, both estimated at $2 million to $3 million each.
In a statement, Koch expressed his reasoning for the sale: "With hard work, business success, and a great deal of luck, I have been fortunate to collect things that resonate with me. It is time to pass along these pieces of history to other collectors who share my passion for the West. My hope is that collectors will find something that speaks to their passion and that they are able to share it with their friends and loved ones."
The auction represents a significant opportunity for collectors and institutions to acquire works from one of the most comprehensive private collections of American Western Art ever assembled.
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