Sotheby’s to auction Pauline Karpidas’s iconic surrealist art collection, setting a record for a single-owner sale in London

A rare collection of around 250 surrealist and modern artworks from Pauline Karpidas, valued at over £60 million, is set to break records at Sotheby’s London auction in September 2025, showcasing pieces by Magritte, Picasso, Warhol and Dalí.

Pauline Karpidas’s extraordinary private collection of surrealist and modern art and design pieces, housed in her Hyde Park London residence, is set to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s from 17 to 19 September 2025. With an estimated value exceeding £60 million, the sale is poised to be the highest-value single-owner art auction ever held in London and the second highest in Europe, surpassed only by the celebrated Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé sale in Paris in 2009. Sotheby’s is heralding the event as the greatest collection of surrealism to come to market in recent history.

The collection, which comprises approximately 250 pieces, features iconic artworks from an array of masters who shaped and challenged the surrealist movement and modern art landscape. Among the standout lots is René Magritte’s enigmatic ‘La Statue Volante,’ estimated at £9–12 million, alongside other significant works by Magritte such as ‘Untitled (Le Sens propre)’ and ‘Les Menottes de cuivre.’ The auction will also showcase masterpieces by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol—including Warhol’s ‘The Scream’—Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Leonora Carrington, Yves Tanguy, and sculptures by the renowned artistic duo Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne.

Pauline Karpidas’s path to building such an illustrious collection is as remarkable as the artworks themselves. Born into a working-class family in Manchester, she started working at the local market as a child and went on to pursue jobs as a secretary and model. In her twenties, she opened a women’s clothing shop in Athens, where she met shipping magnate Constantinos “Dinos” Karpidas, her future husband, who was beginning to collect impressionist works. Their shared interest in art was sparked profoundly during a visit to the mansion of Alexander Iolas in 1974, a legendary gallerist credited with discovering Warhol. Karpidas has recounted how Iolas initially doubted her ability to collect seriously, warning it would take a decade to amass just six masterpieces. Undeterred, she forged a distinctive path focused on personal conviction and instinct, assembling a collection celebrated for its daring, eclecticism, and historic significance.

Sotheby’s has meticulously recreated Karpidas’s London home to exhibit the pieces ahead of the auction, offering a rare glimpse into the unique environment where these artworks lived. The exhibition will run from 8 to 16 September 2025, inviting the public to experience the curated atmosphere that reflects her sophisticated eye and eclectic taste.

Industry insiders emphasise the collection’s exceptional depth and quality. Many pieces were acquired not only for their artistic value but also for their ability to provoke and challenge conventional aesthetics—an ethos integral to surrealism itself. The presence of artists like Leonora Carrington and Max Ernst highlights Karpidas’s commitment to both celebrated and underappreciated figures within the movement.

The auction is expected to draw considerable international attention, with collectors and institutions vying for the chance to own parts of this historic assemblage. It marks an important moment in the art world, not only for the financial scale but also for the celebration of a collector who transformed her working-class beginnings into a world-class legacy in the fine arts.

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Source: Noah Wire Services

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score:
10

Notes:
The narrative is current, with the auction scheduled for 17–19 September 2025. The earliest known publication date of similar content is 11 June 2025, with reports from The Art Newspaper and Artnet. The narrative is based on a press release from Sotheby’s, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. No earlier versions show different information. The article includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged.

Quotes check

Score:
10

Notes:
The quotes from Pauline Karpidas and Oliver Barker are consistent with previous reports. No identical quotes appear in earlier material, indicating potentially original or exclusive content.

Source reliability

Score:
10

Notes:
The narrative originates from The Times, a reputable organisation, which strengthens its reliability.

Plausability check

Score:
10

Notes:
The claims about the auction, including the estimated value and featured artists, are consistent with other reputable outlets. The narrative lacks supporting detail from any other reputable outlet, which is flagged as a potential concern. The report includes specific factual anchors, such as names, institutions, and dates. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic. The structure is focused and relevant, without excessive or off-topic detail. The tone is formal and appropriate for the subject matter.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary:
The narrative is current, originating from a reputable source, and presents consistent and plausible information. The lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets is noted as a potential concern.