Christie’s auction house has announced that it will sell the Ann & Gordon Getty Collection through a series of auctions beginning in October 2022.

Proceeds from the sale of the collection of nearly 1,500 works of decorative and fine arts with an estimated value of $180 million will benefit the recently established Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation for the Arts. Designated beneficiaries include the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony, the University of San Francisco, Berkeley Geochronology Center, and the Leakey Foundation.

Christie’s will offer the sale of works from the collection at Rockefeller Center in New York City, featuring property drawn entirely from the Gettys’ house in San Francisco. Later this month, a selection of pieces from the collection will begin a global tour, debuting in Hong Kong from May 21 through 26. 

“Though she left us far too soon, I know Ann would be proud that her exquisite eye and unmatched dedication to craftsmanship and scholarship are being shared with the world, and that the philanthropic planning around our art collection is being realized,” said Gordon Getty. “These sales are a continuation of the longstanding philanthropic goals of the Getty family first established by my father, J. Paul Getty.” 

(Photo Credit: Getty Images/Thampapon)