Pauline Karpidas’s extraordinary private collection of surrealist and modern art and design pieces, housed in her Hyde Park London residence, is set to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s from 17 to 19 September 2025. With an estimated value exceeding £60 million, the sale is poised to be the highest-value single-owner art auction ever held in London and the second highest in Europe, surpassed only by the celebrated Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé sale in Paris in 2009. Sotheby’s is heralding the event as the greatest collection of surrealism to come to market in recent history.

The collection, which comprises approximately 250 pieces, features iconic artworks from an array of masters who shaped and challenged the surrealist movement and modern art landscape. Among the standout lots is René Magritte’s enigmatic 'La Statue Volante,' estimated at £9–12 million, alongside other significant works by Magritte such as 'Untitled (Le Sens propre)' and 'Les Menottes de cuivre.' The auction will also showcase masterpieces by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol—including Warhol’s 'The Scream'—Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Leonora Carrington, Yves Tanguy, and sculptures by the renowned artistic duo Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne.

Pauline Karpidas’s path to building such an illustrious collection is as remarkable as the artworks themselves. Born into a working-class family in Manchester, she started working at the local market as a child and went on to pursue jobs as a secretary and model. In her twenties, she opened a women’s clothing shop in Athens, where she met shipping magnate Constantinos “Dinos” Karpidas, her future husband, who was beginning to collect impressionist works. Their shared interest in art was sparked profoundly during a visit to the mansion of Alexander Iolas in 1974, a legendary gallerist credited with discovering Warhol. Karpidas has recounted how Iolas initially doubted her ability to collect seriously, warning it would take a decade to amass just six masterpieces. Undeterred, she forged a distinctive path focused on personal conviction and instinct, assembling a collection celebrated for its daring, eclecticism, and historic significance.

Sotheby’s has meticulously recreated Karpidas’s London home to exhibit the pieces ahead of the auction, offering a rare glimpse into the unique environment where these artworks lived. The exhibition will run from 8 to 16 September 2025, inviting the public to experience the curated atmosphere that reflects her sophisticated eye and eclectic taste.

Industry insiders emphasise the collection’s exceptional depth and quality. Many pieces were acquired not only for their artistic value but also for their ability to provoke and challenge conventional aesthetics—an ethos integral to surrealism itself. The presence of artists like Leonora Carrington and Max Ernst highlights Karpidas’s commitment to both celebrated and underappreciated figures within the movement.

The auction is expected to draw considerable international attention, with collectors and institutions vying for the chance to own parts of this historic assemblage. It marks an important moment in the art world, not only for the financial scale but also for the celebration of a collector who transformed her working-class beginnings into a world-class legacy in the fine arts.

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Source: Noah Wire Services