The $80 Million Masterpiece: Agnes Gund’s Historic Rothko Goes Under the Hammer

The relationship between the late philanthropist Agnes Gund and the work of Mark Rothko was one of the most storied in the art world. A blend of personal history, domestic intimacy, and a final, grand act of legacy.

Gund, the longtime president and benefactor of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), passed away in September 2025 at the age of 87. In early 2026, her estate announced that her most prized Rothko would lead a historic auction at Christie’s, marking the end of an era for one of the 20th century’s most significant private collections.

In 1967, a young Agnes Gund visited Rothko’s studio in New York. At the artist’s own recommendation, she acquired "No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe)" (1964).

The painting is a monumental 93-inch canvas, representing the "darker" period of Rothko’s career that followed his famed Seagram Murals commission. It is one of only seven Rothkos in the world still held by their original purchasers from that era. For nearly six decades, the painting held "pride of place" in Gund’s Upper East Side living room, where it served as the literal and metaphorical centerpiece of her life among art.

Gund was famous for viewing her collection not as hoarded wealth, but as a "revolving door" for social good. Her relationship with her Rothko was defined by her willingness to let masterpieces go to fund her activism.

In 2017, she famously sold Roy Lichtenstein’s Masterpiece for $165 million to start the Art for Justice Fund, aimed at ending mass incarceration.

Gund often spoke of the "power of the image" to provoke empathy. She viewed the meditative, often somber intensity of Rothko’s abstractions as a way to connect with the deeper, often "invisible" struggles of humanity.

Following her death in late 2025, the art world received major news in February 2026: Christie’s announced The Collection of Agnes.

The Rothko, No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe), is estimated to fetch in the region of $80 million of its May 2026 Marquee Week.

Before the auction, the painting is currently on a world tour, stopping in London, Paris, and Hong Kong, giving the public a rare chance to see a work that has been behind private doors since the 1960s.

Proceeds from the sale of the Rothko, alongside works by Cy Twombly and Joseph Cornell, will be used to settle Gund’s estate and continue the philanthropic missions she championed during her life.

“Mark Rothko’s work embodies a rarified power and intimacy... this monumental canvas from the collection of Aggie Gund is unequivocally best-in-class.”
— Sara Friedlander, Christie’s Chairman of Post-War and Contemporary Art

Agnes Gund’s relationship with her Rothko was the ultimate example of "private stewardship for public heritage." She lived with the work for a lifetime, but her final legacy ensures that its value will continue to fund the causes she believed in long after the painting leaves her living room.

The upcoming auction at Christie’s is set to be one of the most significant market events of 2026. While the final, detailed lot-by-lot schedule is often finalized closer to the event, the May Marquee Week typically follows a prestigious, standardized sequence.

Based on Christie's announcements regarding The Collection of Agnes Gund, here are the key dates to watch:

Christie’s Auction: May 2026

The centerpiece of the Gund collection — the Rothko — is slated for the 20th Century Evening Sale, which traditionally anchors the beginning of the Marquee Week.

The Rothko and the Twombly from Gund's collection are specifically designated for the May 18th Evening Sale.

Christie’s Global Pre-Sale Tour

If you aren't in New York, the Rothko (No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe)) and the Twombly are currently or will soon be on a "World Tour" to allow global collectors and the public to view them before they likely disappear back into a private collection.

• London: Late March – Early April 2026

• Paris: Mid-April 2026

• Hong Kong: Late April 2026

• New York (Final Viewing): May 3 – May 18, 2026

The Rothko is expected to sell "in the region of $80 million." Because it has such a clean provenance (acquired directly from the artist and held for 59 years), market analysts believe it could potentially exceed its estimate if two or more billionaire "trophy hunters" enter a bidding war.