Auctions

Christie’s to Auction Prizes from Tisch Family Collection

The lots will include sculptures and paintings by Henry Moore, Pablo Picasso, Jean Arp, and more

October 13, 2026

Abstract painting from the Tisch collection of a figure with interlocking circles and ladder, bold colors and geometric shapes. — Fernand Léger *Le jongleur chinois,* (1943). Photo: Courtesy of Christie’s

The fall auction season continued to gather steam when Christie’s announced “Property from the Collection of Wilma (Billie) and Laurence Tisch” as part of its always hotly anticipated sales, spread across New York and London. Henry Moore’s 1952 Seated Figure is the star lot, but the collection also offers sculptures and paintings by Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Jean Arp, Jean Dubuffet, and Isamu Noguchi.

Abstract artwork from the Tisch collection with colorful, expressive faces and various geometric patterns in a vibrant, collage-like composition, to be auctioned at Christie’s. — Jen Dubuffet *Gens et lieux,* (1976). Photo: Courtesy of Christie’s

While Barry Flanagan’s Six Foot Leaping Hare on Steel Pyramid will be the first lot to hit the block as part of the Modern British Art Evening Sale, the majority of the artworks will be part of the New York Marquee Week sales scheduled for November 17–20. They will be spread between the 20th Century Evening Sale, the Impressionist and Modern Art Day Sale, and the Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale, with later inclusions slated for 2027.

There is particular excitement around Moore’s Seated Figure, which carries an estimate of $5–8 million. Henry Moore has hit repeated high water marks at auction over the past decade, with his current record being $34.9 million for King and Queen, achieved at Christie’s London in March 2026. In addition to the Moore, other attention-worthy works include Picasso’s Femme assise, Dubuffet’s Gens et Lieux, and Fenand Léger’s Gens et lieux.

Bronze Henry Moore sculpture from the Tisch Collection of a seated figure viewed from behind, with a draped fabric and hands clasped on its lap. — Henry Moore *Seated Figure,* (1949). Photo: Courtesy Christie’s

Abstract Picasso painting of a seated woman with elongated features in earthy brown tones and cubist style, from the Tisch Collection. — Pablo Picasso *Femme assise*. Photo: Courtesy Christie’s

“Billie and Larry Tisch were inspiring collectors whose civic contributions played an instrumental role in shaping the landscape of art, education, and culture in New York City,” said Sotheby’s Deputy Chairman of Impressionist and Modern Art Conor Jordan, continuing, “We are humbled to have been entrusted as stewards of their exceptional collection of twentieth-century art and look forward to sharing their legacy with the global community this fall.”

The Tisch family is widely recognized for its enduring philanthropic support of New York’s cultural, educational, medical, and arts sectors—the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, The Tisch Galleries at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tisch Center for the Arts at the 92nd Street Y, the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai, and Tisch Hospital at NYU Langone, to name but a few. Christie’s offerings are one more example of the family legacy.