T he name Stanley J. Seeger sits firmly within the pantheon of great collectors, and the acquisitions made through his superlative eye continue to conjure excitement within the art world. Together with his partner Christopher Cone, they assembled and curated extraordinary collections, creating worlds within worlds. Seeger is perhaps best known as a collector of Pablo Picasso, building a group of 123 works in every medium, and Cone for his love for 19th Century works on paper.
Sotheby’s are to offer two highly personal and distinct groups from the Seeger Cone Collection, each reflecting their individual interests and enduring passions. A shared appreciation for technical mastery and whimsical form is evident throughout: from superb jewels and precious objects of the Hellenistic period, to works from the workshops of Peter Carl Fabergé around the 1900s, and onward to the finest examples of 1980s zoomorphic design. These lead a group of ‘gentleman’s accessories’, culminating in an array of hats in our Noble & Private sale.
‘Collections sneak up on you… they start to have a life of their own’
The library and works on paper from the collection will be offered in a dedicated Single Owner Sale, Shelf Life. These treasures range from early illuminated manuscripts of the 15th century to important 19th and 20th Century editions. Jewel-like bindings and annotated manuscripts — including one by Ludwig van Beethoven — appear alongside illustrations and volumes bearing annotations by notable 20th-century figures. There are prints to discover too, among them a woodcut by Albrecht Dürer and an etching by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, both of which demonstrate the technical brilliance of these master printmakers.
The books and jewels from the collection are united not only by their exceptional quality, but also by their spirit of curiosity. Acquisition was never simply a pursuit of the very best; it was equally about discovery and pleasure. Now, courtesy of Stanley and Christopher, we invite you to delve into their world and make discoveries of your own.
Highlights
![View 1 of Lot 16: Ludwig van Beethoven | Autograph sketches for the overture "Die Weihe des Hauses", op.124, [1822], UNPUBLISHED](https://sothebys-com.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3064e6f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5422x4429+0+0/resize/330x270!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsothebys-md.brightspotcdn.com%2Fe6%2F74%2Feb15ba294c6a972baac55d9ba11c%2Fl26402-dldkj-t1-13.jpg)
Auctions
A Final Chapter
S tanley always loved books, this passion may have been inherited from his father who was also a bibliophile. He read around a subject – so when he collected pictures by Picasso, his library of books on the artist became serious - and extensive. It was never about acquiring a picture to match the curtains, but about understanding a subject with depth. The same can be said of the musical manuscripts in the collection. Stanley had studied music at Princeton alongside architecture. Music was a passion of his and the original scores in the collection by Beethoven, Berlioz, and Stravinsky, amongst others, he found marvellous.
E.H. Shepard | Pen and ink drawing of Pooh and Piglet
"Hank had hunkered down right up close to the Hepworth", from Glen Baxter | Seven works
Beatrix Potter | "He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages...", ink and watercolour drawing
In 2003 we acquired Greenway Manor in Devon, and a part of the conservation and restoration of our home was the creation of a library. The books were finally to be together, happy, in one place. This was a key part of the project which Stanley planned in every detail. Having books around us was always important. And the library at Greenway housed not only Stanley’s library but my own collection of 19th century literature, which alongside watercolours and drawings from that period always interested me.
The collection is the most biographical of all the collections we put together; it allowed us to explore our interests and passions. There are illustrations and prints in the sale too, which we kept in the library, and a large group of cartoons by the late Glen Baxter which amused us.
After we left Greenway, some of the collection followed us to Yorkshire, and some of the material went into store. However, we still had a library of sorts… a group of treasures that we in kept in an old briefcase of Stanley’s; there was something wonderful about having a portable library of masterpieces – our own secret library that we could dip in to. A slice of man’s creative genius held in one attaché case, if you like, I will leave you to guess what we chose to include...
As with so much of our collecting, there are serious and important works, and many things that made us smile. It is time to share the pleasure that we got from these works. I hope that for those who wish to acquire something from this sale, your participation becomes a happy memory like it was for Stanley and me when we collected, and of course there is the wonder and fun of being able to handle and read some incredibly special books.
Our collection of Faberge and jewels was more light-hearted than the library, and the pieces we bought were usually acquired because they were quirky and unusual, and because the craftsmanship was so good. We did not wear these pieces, but enjoyed them for what they are, which is wonderful, miniature works of art. These treasures were often gifts between us, it was about the joy of giving, finding something interesting that would make the other laugh…
Christopher Cone, Yorkshire, 2026.