Just last week, Sotheby’s New York held one of the most talked-about sales of the spring, and if you weren’t already following it, here’s why it mattered.
Robert Mnuchin: Collector at Heart was an evening auction of eleven works spanning Modern and Contemporary art, all from the personal collection of Robert Mnuchin, one of the most respected figures in the American art world. As a gallerist and advisor with decades of experience, Mnuchin built his collection not for status, but out of genuine belief in the artists he championed. That came through in every lot.
The Rothko That Made Headlines
The night’s biggest moment belonged to Mark Rothko. His painting Brown and Blacks in Reds, made in 1957, sold for $85.8 million, making it the second most expensive Rothko ever sold at auction. The only work that fetched more was Orange, Red, Yellow, which went for $86.9 million back in 2012.
If you’re not familiar with Rothko, he was an American painter known for large canvases filled with soft, glowing blocks of colour, work that feels almost meditative to stand in front of. He’s not the kind of artist you need a PhD to appreciate; his paintings tend to hit you somewhere more instinctive than that.
And right now, Rothko is very much having a moment. A major retrospective, Rothko in Florence, is currently on at Palazzo Strozzi in Italy, the largest exhibition of his work ever staged there, running through August 2026. At the same time, New York’s auction market has been surging back after a quieter period, with sixteen works across various sales fetching over $30 million since late 2025. Rothko’s $85.8 million result was both a reflection of that energy and a statement in its own right.
What Else Was in the Sale
Beyond the Rothkos, there were two, the collection read like a who’s who of 20th-century art. Willem de Kooning appeared three times, including his raw and energetic Two Women. Franz Kline’s bold, gestural Harleman held its own alongside a Picasso, a Miró, and works by Jeff Koons, David Hammons, and John Chamberlain.
Taken together, it wasn’t just a strong sale, it felt like a portrait of a man and his taste. Every work reflected the same instinct: a preference for paintings that have real presence, that demand something from the person standing in front of them.
Why It’s Worth Paying Attention
Sales like this one are worth following even if you’re not in the market to buy. They’re a kind of cultural weather report, a signal of which artists the serious money believes in, and which ideas are gaining traction. The fact that Abstract Expressionism (the mid-20th-century American movement Rothko and de Kooning helped define) is commanding these prices in 2026 says something about where taste is right now: back toward work that’s emotionally direct, physically commanding, and built to last.
The Mnuchin sale landed at exactly the right moment to make that point.
The auction took place at Sotheby’s New York in May 2026. The Rothko retrospective Rothko in Florence continues at Palazzo Strozzi through 23 August 2026.
Sources: Sotheby’s, Robert Mnuchin: Collector at Heart / Artforum, Rothko Sells for $85.8 Million / France 24, New York Art Auctions Roar Back / FirenzeCard, Rothko in Florence 2026