S otheby’s is pleased to present the Vision of Aso O. Tavitian. An avid collector across a range of disciplines, Aso Tavitian’s collection will be offered in a series of four sales during Master’s Week New York in the beginning of February 2025. The extraordinary quality and outstanding breadth of the collection illuminates his identity as a collector, philanthropist and connoisseur.

As an indelible portrait of the American Dream, Aso O. Tavitian was a Cold War refugee who emigrated from Bulgaria to New York City where he started driving taxi cabs until he managed, through keen intellect and no lack of charm, to secure a scholarship to Columbia University and eventually earn a Master’s in Nuclear Physics. His studies were in-part paid for by his high school English teacher, an act of kindness that left a permanent mark on him and fueled his lifelong commitment to philanthropy. After great success in the software industry and pursuing numerous philanthropic endeavors, including supporting arts institutions in New York City and local artistic initiatives in the Berkshires, he established the Tavitian Foundation, which has made significant contributions to scientific, cultural, and religious institutions in Armenia, Artsakh, and the United States.

Aso Tavitian turned his eye towards the fine and decorative arts in earnest in the early 2000s. As a collector, he developed an exacting eye for quality as he built an incredible collection of Old Master Paintings, Sculpture and English Furniture. The sales include a selection of his Old Master Paintings & Sculpture alongside Mr. Tavitian’s extraordinary collection of English Furniture and Decorative Arts, this collection is a remarkable reincarnation of the connoisseur-philanthropist found in the Gilded Age of New York.

The sale series will commence with The Vision of Aso O. Tavitian: Master Paintings and Sculpture, a curated selection of Old Master Paintings and sculpture which reflect his deep interest in portraiture and personal narratives. The collection consists of a wide range of styles and time periods, from early Netherlandish portraits such as the elegant depiction of Margaret of Austria and Ambrosius Benson’s Mary Magdalene Reading, to French and English portraits of the 18^th century, like those by William Bouguereau and George Romney. Likewise his collection of sculpture ranges from the Renaissance through the later 19th century and includes marble, terracotta, and bronze sculptures and works by Lemoyne, Cavaceppi and Carrier-Belleuse.

Following the sale of these highlights in paintings and sculpture, Sotheby’s will focus on Tavitian’s two impressive homes in Manhattan and Stockbridge, Massachusetts respectively, each of which housed a flawless symbiosis of fine and decorative arts. The layouts of each home are anchored by groups of wonderful carved mahogany furniture from the third quarter of the 18^thcentury, a time when English cabinet-making was at its absolute zenith with works by Benjamin Goodison, Thomas Chippendale and George Bullock featured in the collection. Every room shows an intricate layering of material such as fine carpets, Japanese wood block prints, Iznik tiles, French needlework panels, pietra dura tables and marble fragments. Mr. Tavitian’s desire to obtain outstanding pieces was never limited to one or two areas of collecting, but instead evident in all he purchased from the largest item to the smallest.

As a testament to his passion for enriching cultural institutions, Tavitian's philanthropic legacy continues with a transformative gift to the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Prior to the announcement of the auction, the Aso O. Tavitian Foundation donated 331 works of art to the Clark. This major gift—comprising 132 paintings, 130 sculptures, 39 drawings, and 30 decorative arts objects—was carefully selected to complement the museum's renowned permanent collection, which spans from the Renaissance to the late nineteenth century. In addition to the works themselves, the donation includes funding for a new Aso O. Tavitian Wing, planned to open in 2027 or 2028, further underscoring his commitment to the arts.

Continuing this commitment to philanthropy, Sotheby’s series of four sales will benefit the Aso O. Tavitian Foundation and its ongoing support of education and public service. As a beloved collector and philanthropist, Aso Tavitian’s collection of paintings, furniture and decorative arts, coming to auction this February as part of Sotheby’s Master’s Week, will be an extraordinary opportunity to experience a collection built with care and resolute attention to detail.