Agnes Gund was a singular figure in the art world. She was a passionate collector, a distinguished philanthropist and a visionary leader who used the power of art to inspire change in the world. This May, Christie’s is honoured to present three masterworks from her collection. These outstanding examples stand as a testament to a remarkable woman whose dedication, expertise and generosity left a lasting legacy.

Gund acquired Mark Rothko’s No. 15 (Two Greens and Red Stripe) directly from the artist during a visit to his studio in 1967. It became the centrepiece of a legendary collection that included major works by Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns and Brice Marden. Cy Twombly’s Untitled, painted in 1961 at the height of the artist’s expressive powers, is an exceptional example of his unique painterly forms he produced while living in Rome. It is with works such as this that Twombly cemented his reputation as one of the greatest painters of the post-war period. Joseph Cornell’s Untitled (Medici Princess) represents the peak of the artist’s creative output through what is considered his most important body of work — the Medici Slot Machines and related works. The work combines Renaissance art with found objects to produce a Surrealist-inspired dreamlike world that evokes memory and childhood. Together all three objects represent the breadth of Gund’s interests and demonstrate her eye for quality.

Gund’s life was powered by art. In addition to her enviable collection, she served as a inspirational leader to many arts organisations. Most notably, she joined the Museum of Modern Art’s international council in 1967 — the same year she acquired her painting by Rothko — and became the museum’s president, an esteemed position she held for 11 years. During her tenure as president, and later president emeritus, Gund oversaw the museum’s development of its contemporary collection, particularly work by women artists and artists of colour, plus its $858 million expansion into a new building designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, doubling the museum’s exhibition space. In addition to her leadership role, over her lifetime, she donated more than 800 works to the museum.

Her lifelong commitment to using art as a vehicle for social change culminated in 2017 when she sold another important work from her collection, Lichtenstein’s Masterpiece (1962), to establish her ‘Art for Justice Fund,’ a time-limited initiative that provided grants to promote criminal justice reform. Gund’s passion and dedication was legendary. She built one of the most admired collections of contemporary art in a generation and her commitment to institutions she supported was unwavering. Her legacy will last for generations to come.

Works from the Collection of Agnes Gund will tour globally before being sold at Christie’s New York in our May 20th/21st Century sale series.