Imagine growing up in a house where your wallpaper was a rotating gallery of Warhols, Koons, and Rauschenbergs. That was Antonio Homem Sonnabend's reality. Now, his staggering art collection, built by his legendary art-dealer parents, is heading to Christie's, expected to rake in a cool $50 million.
Antonio, adopted son of the iconic Ileana and Michael Sonnabend, spent his life curating and managing their mind-boggling trove of post-war and contemporary art. And now, pieces from that very collection — photographs, prints, and design objects included — will go under the hammer across London, Paris, and New York this fall.
The Kind of Art That Makes Accountants Sweat
We're talking serious heavy hitters, mostly from the late 1950s and 60s. Think Mario Schifano's A de Chirico (1962), Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Can (Turkey Noodle) (1962) (because apparently, even soup cans can be high art), and Robert Rauschenberg's Triple Rauschenberg [Bob Rauschenberg #2] (1962).
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Start Your News DetoxAlso in the mix: Jasper Johns' Numbers (1957), Jeff Koons' Ode to Love (2010–17), and another Rauschenberg, Untitled (Collage with Cuff) (1957). It’s the kind of lineup that makes you wonder if your own childhood finger paintings might have been worth something.
Antonio's son, Antonio Phokion Potamianos-Homem, noted that his father literally lived surrounded by these masterpieces. Selling them, he admits, is a pretty big deal. No kidding.
And it's not just about the family coffers. Two pieces by Lichtenstein and Warhol from the Sonnabend Collection Mantova will also be sold. The proceeds will go to building an endowment for a museum in northern Italy, which Antonio helped open, set for 2025. Because even after all this, the art world still needs a little help.
Potamianos-Homem emphasized that the family is still committed to Ileana and Antonio’s vision: keeping that artistic dialogue between Europe and America alive and well. And ensuring the unique eye that built this collection keeps getting seen. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying.
Ileana Sonnabend was a titan, introducing American greats like Warhol and Johns to European audiences, and bringing European stars like Gilbert & George to the U.S. Sara Friedlander, chairman of post-war and contemporary art at Christie's, put it simply: Ileana's influence is "immense." Her collection? It's "the best of post-war art movements in both Europe and the U.S."
Ileana opened Sonnabend Gallery in New York's Soho in 1971, with Antonio's help. After she passed in 2007, he took the reins, and in 2009, established the Sonnabend Collection Foundation to preserve his family's artistic legacy. Which, as we've established, is now worth at least $50 million.
