The Saunders Collection of Old Master Paintings is so brimming with masterpieces, so impeccably curated you'd think it was always this way. But building a world-class collection requires patience, perseverance, and sometimes even a bit of luck.
From rediscovering lost treasures hidden away in garbage bags, uncovering secret masterpieces tucked beneath beds, to painstakingly restoring paintings that emerge as extraordinary works of art—join Sotheby's Old Master expert George Wachter for a behind-the-scenes look at the fascinating journey of assembling a truly exceptional collection.
Sotheby’s is thrilled to bring masterpieces from the Collection of Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III to auction this May. Comprising fifty-six works, many of which have been exhibited at leading institutions around the world, the collection is remarkable both in its geographical scope and in its chronological sweep, ranging from 1520s Germany, by way of Dutch and Flemish, Italian, Spanish and French art of the 16th-19th centuries, and ending with an exceptional 1820s portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence.
This collection’s auction will take place on 21 May 2025 in New York.
