See Rare Masterpieces for Free at Christie’s Before New York’s Biggest Art Auction Week

A once-in-a-lifetime public preview brings $1.1 billion in iconic works by Pollock, Rothko, Brancusi and more to Rockefeller Center before they disappear into private collections.

Art lovers have a rare chance to experience some of the most important works of the 20th and 21st centuries — free of charge — as Christie’s opens its blockbuster public exhibition ahead of New York’s highly anticipated May sale week.

On view through May 21 at Christie’s Rockefeller Center galleries, the museum-caliber exhibition features nearly $1.1 billion worth of art, making it one of the auction house’s most significant New York sales series since the landmark Paul Allen collection in 2022.

 Donald Judd (1928-1994), Untitled, 1969. Copper and red fluorescent plexiglas, in ten parts. Each: 6 x 27 x 24 in (15.2 x 68.6 x 61 cm). Overall: 120 x 27 x 24 in (304.8 x 68.6 x 61 cm). Estimate: $10,000,000–15,000,000. Offered in Defined Space: The Collection of Henry. S McNeil, Jr. on 20 May 2026 at Christie’s in New York.

Detail of Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), La femme aux lilas (Portrait de Nini Lopez), 1876-1877. Oil on canvas. 28 x 23 in (71.1 x 58.4 cm). Estimate: $25,000,000–35,000,000. Offered in the 20th Century Evening Sale on 18 May 2026 at Christie’s in New York

Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957), Danaïde, conceived and cast circa 1913. Bronze with gold leaf and black patina. Height (excluding base): 10⅞ in (27.1 cm). Estimate on request. Offered in MASTERPIECES: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse on 18 May 2026 at Christie’s in New Yo

Among the standout works: Constantin Brancusi’s Danaïde, Jackson Pollock’s Number 7A, 1948 — expected to fetch more than $100 million — and major works by Mark Rothko, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Cy Twombly, Donald Judd, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and Georgia O’Keeffe.

Legendary Private Collections Now on View

The exhibition also spotlights legendary private collections, including S.I. Newhouse’s masterworks, exceptional pieces from philanthropist Agnes Gund, and selections from Marian Goodman’s celebrated Richter holdings.

A major highlight is Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s La femme aux lilas, held by the family of Mets founder Joan Whitney Payson since 1929 — a rare intersection of New York sports and art history.

Described by Christie’s specialists as “an art history lesson within one space,” the preview offers an extraordinary chance to view works typically tucked inside elite private collections and rarely accessible to the public.

Mark Rothko (1903-1970), No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe), 1964. Oil on canvas. 93 x 69 in (236.2 x 175.3 cm). From The Collection of Agnes Gund. Estimate on request. Offered in 20th Century Evening Sale on 18 May 2026 at Christie’s in New York

 Piet Mondrian (1872-1944), Composition with Large Red Plane, Blue, Gray, Black and Yellow, 1921. 20½ x 16⅝ in (52 x 42.3 cm) including the artist's painted frame. Estimate: $35,000,000–55,000,000. Offered in MASTERPIECES: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse on 18 May 2026 at Christie’s in New York

How to Visit

Where: Christie’s Rockefeller Center, 20 Rockefeller Plaza, New York
When: Through May 21
Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. daily
(Sunday opens at 1 p.m.; May 21 closes at 2 p.m.)
Admission: Free

Live auctions begin May 18, with bidding streamed globally on Christie’s digital platforms. For New Yorkers — and Hamptons collectors heading into the city for auction week — it’s one of the season’s most extraordinary cultural previews before the hammer falls.