F or over seventy years, the Abrams family has introduced art into the homes of millions of readers worldwide through the publishing of beautifully illustrated and meticulously written art books. Harry N. Abrams and his son Robert (affectionately known as Bob) amassed a collection for themselves of the same uncompromising quality, scholarly depth, and cutting edge as the fine art and illustrated book industry they pioneered.
This Fall, Sotheby's is pleased to offer a selection of works from the Abrams Family Collection across dedicated live and online sales this September, with further works to be offered in various owner sales throughout the season. The September 27th live auction will be led by Isamu Noguchi's striking marble, Study for Energy Void from 1971, as well as important works by Alex Katz, Bob Thompson, Marisol, Chryssa, Tom Wesselmann, Robert Indiana and Fernando Botero. Open for bidding 20-30 September, the online auction features additional works by Marisol, as well as standout examples by John Wesley, Kenneth Noland, Christo, Lee Bontecou, Dan Christensen, Arman and more—many of whom were cherished friends of the Abrams family and featured as the subjects of the well-known monographs produced by Abbeville Press, Bob and Harry’s publishing house.
An exceptional collection stewarded intergenerationally across seven decades, this remarkable grouping of works reflects a love of collecting and an impassioned zest for living among art as initiated by Harry and carried through with Bob and his family. Both shared an indefatigable belief in developing relationships with artists and their dealers with the goal of collecting the art of one’s time. The collection charts a remarkable and fearless story of contemporary art: there were no aesthetic boundaries to their collecting in terms of abstraction versus figuration, gender, racial or nationalistic guidelines—instead, the supreme unifying factor above all was quality. The collection offers a true cross-section of the pinnacle of artistic production primarily across the 1960s and 1970s that is both well-known to collectors and rife for rediscovery today.
Celebrating 70 Years of Art: The Abrams Family Collection at Sotheby's
Upcoming Auctions
Live Sale Highlights
Online Sale Highlights
Exhibition Information
Exhibition Information
Highlights on View in Los Angeles
Monday–Friday: 10am–5pm, Saturday & Sunday: 12pm–6pm
350 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
21–26 September
Art Without Boundaries: The Abrams Family Collection | Live Sale
21–29 September
Art Without Boundaries: The Abrams Family Collection | Online Sale
Monday–Saturday: 10am–5pm, Sunday: 1pm–5pm
1334 York Ave, New York, NY 10021
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