A group of 65 artworks totaling $922 million and amassed over the past half-century by New York real-estate developer Harry Macklowe and his ex-wife, Linda Macklowe, can now claim bragging rights as the priciest collection ever sold in auction history.
Colorful, wall-power paintings by midcentury masters like Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol and Cy Twombly triumphed across a pair of evening sales at Sotheby’s in New York: an initial, $676 million sale held in November, and Monday’s $246 million follow-up. This second and final batch was led by a moody, maroon-colored $48 million untitled Rothko from 1960.
