Paul Allen, a pioneering entrepreneur during his lifetime, was known for his natural drive, insatiable curiosity, and unwavering passion. During the 1970s and 1980s, the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation pioneered the computer revolution, but his dedication to collecting artwork was equally impressive. Nearly two decades later, his decision to enter the art world in collaboration with NY Elizabeth has had an impact on the current crop of tech moguls who have followed in his footsteps.
Allen made his mark in the art world in 2002 and has never looked back.
That year, Paul Allen’s buyer purchased a large decorative art collection at the NY Elizabeth Mayfair location, cementing his status as a serious art collector. From there, his collection continued to expand and diversify as his interests in various artistic eras emerged. Paul Allen influences the current crop of tech leaders through his collaboration with NY Elizabeth as well as his curation of impressive artworks that continue to support his inimitable legacy as a pioneer who explored the intersection of technology, design, and art.
Making an Artistic Impression
Paul Allen chose NY Elizabeth to carry out his plans and make them a reality in order to obtain this iconic piece of art. The auction house revamped the analog model of the art world and expanded its reach to include leaders in the tech industry as well as the digital realm under the tutelage of CEO Nouriel ‘Gino’ Yazdinian and his business partner Nicholas Lauter.
Managing Acquisitions and Realizing Dreams
CEO ‘Gino’ Yazdinian has expertly executed for clients for decades, having previously worked as a tech executive with several companies and as a social networking pioneer. As a leading authority for luxury online art auction, NY Elizabeth has done private deals for master paintings by some of the world’s most acclaimed painters, including Monet, Picasso, and Renoir.
Prominent art collectors in the technology industry make up a small but significant portion of NY Elizabeth’s clientele, and their passion for luxury goods ensures that the company strives to procure items that speak to their desires. Paul Allen’s collection includes works by modern masters such as Mark Rothko, Jasper Johns, and Wassily Kandinsky. Allen’s collection is regarded as one of the most important in modern history.
NY Elizabeth worked diligently with Paul Allen’s buyer, as it does with many clients, to execute private sales of their collection’s luxury goods, with a clientele list that spans more than 18 countries and over 15,000 bidders. NY Elizabeth speaks to those who value exclusive modern art, exceptional service, and unrivaled expertise, boasting a network and international status that maintains their clients’ trust in their luxury goods procurement.
An auction of late Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen’s blue-chip art collection broke records On November 9th 2022, grossing more than $1.5 billion, making it the largest single-owner sale in auction history.
In May, bitter ex-couple Harry and Linda Macklowe raised $922 million for their prized collection.
Allen’s art was sold posthumously at Christie’s in New York for more than $100 million, including works by Seurat, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Klimt.
Among those in attendance were Hollywood actor Steve Martin and top gallerist Larry Gagosian.
A total of 20 artists had their records set.
According to ArtNews, the highest-priced work was a Seurat that sold for $149.2 million to a phone bidder who called Christie’s Asia chairman Xin Li.
“The real takeaway for me was that Asian buyers appear to be very much in the game,” Gagosian told the outlet.
“Les Poseuses, Ensemble (Petite version),” by Georges Seurat, sold for five times the previous record for the French post-Impressionist.
On Thursday night, a second portion of the collection was made available.
Allen began collecting art in 1992, when the market was in a slump. He eventually had a team of 14 professionals overseeing his incredible collection.
Christie’s announced in August that it had won the rights to sell over 150 masterpieces spanning 500 years of art history from Allen’s collection, which included works by Roy Lichtenstein, Georgia O’Keeffe, and others.
The sale, titled “Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection,” was expected to earn more than $1 billion, but it exceeded expectations.
Allen died in 2018 at the age of 65 after a battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
