Blaquier-Arrieta Collection Heads to Sotheby's New York Sale
The long-hidden Blaquier-Arrieta collection of Impressionist masterpieces will be auctioned at Sotheby's New York in November.
The Blaquier-Arrieta collection, largely invisible to the public for decades, is being revealed through an international tour beginning in London. Twelve paintings from the collection are expected to fetch around $450 million when sold at Sotheby's New York in November. The Argentine couple, Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier and Carlos Pedro Blaquier, came to London almost every year in the 1970s to buy art. The collection was reportedly kept under lock and key at the family estate outside Buenos Aires for decades.
After London, the collection travels to Taipei, Hong Kong, and Paris before the New York sale.
Record expectations for key works
Sotheby's expects the collection to fetch around $450 million, with individual highlights poised to set new auction records. The Van Gogh painting is estimated at $180 million and Sotheby's expects it to beat Van Gogh's existing auction record. Sotheby's expects the Cezanne Harlequin to make around $120 million, which would be a record for the artist at auction. No comparable Cezanne portrait has appeared at auction since 1988.
| Artist | Painting | Estimate/Expected Price | Notable Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vincent van Gogh | Châtaigniers-en-fleurs | $180 million | Expected to beat artist's auction record |
| Paul Cézanne | Arlequin | Around $120 million | Would be an auction record for Cézanne; last exhibited in London in 1954 |
| Camille Pissarro | La Place du Théâtre-Français, soleil d'après-midi en hiver (1898) | $30m-$40m | Last seen in London in 1942-43 |
| Claude Monet | Le Jardin des Tuileries (1876) | $15m-$20m | Last seen in London in 1957 |
| Pierre-Auguste Renoir | En Canot (Jeune fille à la barque) (1877) | $25m-$35m | Never been shown in London |
| Maurice de Vlaminck | Nature morte à la cruche bleue (1906-07) | $2m-$3m | Last seen in London in 1969 |
Provenance and market context
Seven of the twelve paintings offered by Sotheby's were bought from the Lefevre Gallery on Bruton Street in the 1970s. The sale occurs as Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art is seen as a blue-chip refuge at the top of the market. Many great 20th-century collections are now being dispersed, such as those of Paul Allen and Leonard Lauder. Helena Newman, Sotheby's chairman of Impressionist and Modern art, described the current market moment as 'almost like a return to order' and a return of interest in top blue-chip quality.
The family and the collection’s legacy
The sale reflects a generational shift as the Blaquier family releases the Impressionist core while retaining Latin American holdings. Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier died in 2020 and Carlos Pedro Blaquier died in 2023. The couple separated several decades ago. Nelly Arrieta de Blaquier was a major cultural patron and chaired the Friends of Argentina's National Museum of Fine Arts. In 1995, the New York Times described her as the owner of 'Argentina's largest private art collection'. She was reportedly the sole heir to Ledesma, Argentina's sugar giant. Carlos Pedro Blaquier became president of Ledesma in 1970 and held the position until 2013.
Carlos Pedro Blaquier was charged in 2012 with allegedly participating in kidnappings during Argentina's military dictatorship in 1976. He denied the allegations and died without standing trial. Sotheby’s has emphasized that Carlos Pedro Blaquier was never convicted.
Sotheby’s role and assurances
Newman confirmed that Sotheby's guaranteed the twelve-piece collection, though declined to disclose the amount. She said the guarantee was one factor in Sotheby's pitch, alongside its relationship with the family, proven track record with single-owner collections, and expertise. Helena Newman said: "It’s a time capsule of that golden moment." She added, "At public auction, there hasn’t been anything at this level." Newman also stated, What I can say is that we're expecting the collection to reach in the region of $450m. Plus, maybe plus.
After London, the collection travels to Taipei, Hong Kong, and Paris before the New York sale.
