Christie's London will auction a major collection of modern and contemporary art from Belgian collectors Roger and Josette Vanthournout during its March marquee sales week. The collection, estimated at £40 million ($53.8 million), spans six decades of collecting and includes works by René Magritte, Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso, Yayoi Kusama, Lucio Fontana, Agnes Martin, and Max Ernst. It will be offered across three sales: a March 5 evening sale, a March 6 daytime sale, and an online sale from February 25 to March 12. Highlights include Magritte's 'La plaine de l'air' (1940) and Moore's 'Goslar Warrior' (1973–74), each estimated at £3.5–5.5 million.
This sale matters because it represents one of the most significant single-owner collections to come to market in Europe this season, reflecting a deeply personal and cross-generational vision of 20th- and 21st-century art. The Vanthournout collection's breadth—from Symbolism and Surrealism to Minimalism and contemporary British art—offers a rare opportunity for collectors and institutions to acquire works that have been held privately for decades. The timing is also notable as Magritte's market remains red-hot following his record $121.2 million sale at Christie's New York in 2024, and the inclusion of works by Kusama, Fontana, and Martin underscores the collection's alignment with current market trends.