S otheby’s Private Sales is excited to offer a curated selection of masterworks in our selling exhibition opening in New York this November. Running alongside our New York Marquee Auctions, this exhibition will showcase exceptional works that span over a century of artistic production. The show will be on view in our newly renovated and dedicated Private Sales gallery, designed to enhance our clients’ browsing experience whilst previewing auction highlights.
Featuring an unparalleled collection of unique pieces from both Modern Masters and Contemporary Visionaries, this exhibition captures significant moments in art history, ranging from pioneering movements to innovative contemporary expressions. An amalgamation of captivating paintings and dramatic sculptures, Sotheby’s is thrilled to present a superb group of works that champion the strength and diversity of modern and contemporary artistry during this exhilarating season in the art world.
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“Art should be something that liberates your soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further.”
- Josef Albers – Homage to the Square: Dark Core
- Alexander Calder – Untitled
- Agnes Martin – Untitled (Blue-Rose)
- Andy Warhol – Camouflage Painting
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Josef Albers – Homage to the Square: Dark CoreI’m excited to highlight this stunning Homage to the Square by Josef Albers —a work that perfectly showcases Albers’ mastery in color theory, rooted in his Bauhaus years and further exploration of color at Black Mountain College. I’m particularly drawn to the energy and pulsation created in the subtle shift from the tangerine oranges into the ochre and browns in the four squares nested within one another. Once belonging to Academy Award-winner Maximilian Schell, a close friend of Albers, this painting boast extraordinary provenance.
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Alexander Calder – UntitledThis early large-scale bolted sculpture by Alexander Calder is one of his first explorations into creating dynamic forms from everyday materials and we are thrilled to be offering it for private sale. Calder’s innovative process—beginning with paper designs and metal maquettes—brings a unique energy to this piece, transforming flat abstraction into a three-dimensional 'drawing in space.' This sculpture also holds unique provenance, originally gifted to Calder’s friend, the art critic Peter Bellew. It’s a fantastic early example of Calder’s bold approach to form and movement
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Agnes Martin – Untitled (Blue-Rose)I’m truly drawn to this exquisite Agnes Martin work on paper. Through her careful use of deep rose and gentle blue, nestled between her drawn line, Martin achieves a serene minimalism that feels both calming and reflective, inviting viewers to pause and connect with the natural world. Created in the 1990, an important moment in her career, this artwork epitomizes Martin’s mastery of simplicity, balancing purity with intentionality.
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Andy Warhol – Camouflage PaintingI’m excited to feature this late work by Andy Warhol from his iconic Camouflage series. Painted in the final year of his life, it reflects Warhol’s deep exploration of the boundary between image and abstraction, a theme he began in the 1960s and refined over the decades. Here, Warhol takes the traditionally utilitarian camouflage pattern and transforms it with his bold, pop colors, subverting its military associations and adding a personal twist that echoes his own use of ‘camouflage’ in life.
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Mercedes Lámbarri Altamira is a Vice President, Head of Mid-Market Private Sales and a Specialist in Post-War & Contemporary Art, based in New York. Mercedes has spent her entire career at Sotheby’s, having joined the Contemporary Department in Paris in 2012, where she worked until 2018 as a Head of Day Sale. She joined the New York Contemporary Art Department in 2019 as a Specialist and now oversees strategy for mid-market Contemporary Art private sales and advises clients on acquisitions and consignments.
Mercedes graduated with a B.A. in Art History from Middlebury College and a Master’s in Modern Art, Connoisseurship, and the Art Market from Christie’s Education.