Sotheby’s is set to auction two significant paintings by Abstract Expressionist Joan Mitchell from the collection of Rockefeller University, during its 20th Century evening sale on November 19. The paintings, City Landscape and an untitled piece, both from 1955, represent a key period in Mitchell’s early career as she established herself as a leading figure in post-war American art.
City Landscape, the larger of the two works, is expected to fetch between $15 million and $20 million. The untitled companion painting is estimated to bring in between $9 million and $12 million. Both pieces date back to a time when Mitchell was gaining prominence for her bold, energetic brushstrokes that helped shape the Abstract Expressionist movement, placing her in the company of other iconic figures of the genre, like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning.
Though the sale might raise questions about Rockefeller University’s financial needs, the institution remains on firm ground, with a $2.5 billion endowment and a recently concluded fundraising campaign that amassed an additional $777 million. The university’s decision to auction these works is not a reflection of financial distress but rather a strategic move to capitalize on the rising value of Mitchell’s work. The proceeds, university officials say, will help fund future biomedical research initiatives.
This is not Rockefeller University’s first venture into the art market. In 1977, it sold a renowned portrait by French painter Jacques-Louis David—Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and His Wife, painted in 1788—to alleviate budgetary concerns at the time. The oil industrialist Charles Wrightsman purchased the piece and later donated it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The $4 million sale was put to immediate use, funding two professorships and four graduate fellowships, marking a legacy of educational investment.
The timing of the Mitchell sale comes amidst a surge in demand for her work, underscored by record-breaking auctions in recent years. Last November, Christie’s reset Mitchell’s auction record when an untitled painting from around 1959 sold for $29.2 million. This eclipsed her previous record, set in 2018, when Blueberry (1969) sold for $16.6 million at Christie’s in New York. Further boosting her market value, Sotheby’s sold four guaranteed Mitchell paintings across four decades this past May, with three exceeding their estimates. The standout, Noon (circa 1969), sold for $22.6 million. Similarly, at Art Basel in June, David Zwirner gallery sold Mitchell’s diptych Sunflowers (1990–91) for $18 million.
Sotheby’s is optimistic about the upcoming sale, underscoring the rarity of Mitchell’s works from the 1950s. “Truly important paintings by Mitchell from the 1950s are fewer and further between compared to work made in later decades,” said Carter, a Sotheby’s spokesperson, in a statement to ARTnews. He noted that the estimates reflect the artworks’ quality, provenance, and historical importance, all of which set them apart as among the best from this defining period in Mitchell’s career.
As demand continues to grow for Mitchell’s work, Rockefeller University’s decision to part with these seminal pieces may well result in another record-breaking moment for the artist, while simultaneously supporting scientific research.